The Seige of Oz Third in Series
by QM2NerdfromOz
Summary: In the wake of Ozma's Trial, Earth is now under the thereat of the Wicked Witch. Anthony and his new friends battle the impossible, and it is not with out sacrifice. Follow the continuing adventures of Anthony to Massachusetts, as he and his beloved friends risk their lives for Oz and each other. Together they must stop the Witch from returning to Oz, for good.
1. Chapter 1

The Siege of Oz

Prologue.

It has been only a few months since Anthony had for the second time, returned from Oz. This time however, he landed back in bed in his dorm in Massachusetts at the Academy. In the wake of recent events in Oz, let me be clear as to the current situations in Oz and now on distressed Earth. The Wicked Witch of the West after having successfully killed Natalee, his girlfriend, (Langwidere taking her head), was put on trial with Ozma Tippetarius as the Judge. At the end of the hearing, Elphaba Almira Thropp, was found guilty of all charges, and banished henceforth from Oz, and sent to be imprisoned on Earth. She was to be without memory, magic, and never to be allowed entrance in Oz by the magic of Oz's foundation book the Oziad. Furthermore, Ozma still holds proudly the Hallowed Throne of the Emerald City, the Tin Man controls the Vinkus, The Lion controls Quadling, and the Scarecrow controls Munchkinland. Lady Glinda the Good still holds a firm spot in the Emerald City as Protector of the Crown, and the nation.

As was previously told by Glinda and Ozma, whenever people from Earth travel to Oz and one of them dies, after returning to Earth, every person who knew that person who died, has their memory wiped of them. It will be as if they never lived. As strictly enchanted with the deep and old founding magic of Oz through the Oziad, the results of the thank Lurline successful trial in Court of the case Elphaba Vs Oz, she has been banished, and sent to Earth. With that banishment her appearance has, changed.

So here Anthony lies peacefully asleep in his dorm room, stressfully waiting for his alarm to buzz and start his maritime day at the academy.

It was an unusually sunny day for Buzzard's bay. Anthony had finished classes for the day and was sitting on the docks with his two best friends. Argie was a guy Anthony's age, about his height, but very thin. He had dirty blond hair, glasses and loved cold weather. He loved all of nature really; he could sit for hours on the docks enjoying the sights and sounds of the great bay. He was also in love with a fantastic girl who was another one of Anthony's friends at the school. Ashley was a somewhat short girl compared to us, had dark hair to her shoulders, and dark tanned skin. They were incredible friends to him. They defended him when it wasn't popular, and helped him focus on the better parts of himself so he could always try to be a better person. No matter what happens, the three of them always try to defeat every conflict, and usually, at least one of them emerges victorious. It had been a hard and long two years. Classes, bullies, and stresses of being away from family had made life miserable. The only people he loved, and who loved him, were Argie and Ashley. That much had been made apparent, and was always challenged.

"Hey Anthony did you hear what's going on with Admiral George?" asked Ashley.

"No I didn't I've been studying Rules of the Road with Argie all day," Anthony gave Argie a sarcastic excited look.

"Studying? Yeah goin to Dunkin donuts and subway is real great studying!" Argie laughed.

"No I'm serious guys, how did the Admiral go from running in a marathon fund raiser thing, to being in the Emergency Room?" She asked.

"Well, he was old, is it his heart?" asked Anthony.

"Naa, I heard he was burned in a house fire," Argie countered. This raised all our eyebrows. All of us were equally saddened, and kind of shocked.

"What?" Asked Ashley looking both surprised and worried. Not many people here at the Academy agreed with Admiral George's diplomacy techniques, but no one would ever wish pain, or what now sounded like possible death. Fires were an uncommon way for this to happen, especially given our extensive level of safety emphasis, and fire fighting redundancy while at the school. So naturally, there was an air of concern and worry on campus; among students and faculty alike. Some of the people in our company (platoon but larger) wrote emails or skyped their parent alerting them to the possible death at the school. Rumors of course spread like wildfire. Some said murder, others said accident, but whatever the version, by now everyone knew. Due to the time of year, though wearing short sleeved uniform shirts, everyone was already wearing black almost as if for the occasion. Ashley, Argie and Anthony continued with their schedules for the day sticking together as much as possible for the remainder of it though. Dinner together in the mess deck, and then a movie in Argie's room. The next day they hoped, more news would settle everyone's concerns. Knowledge we all agreed in believing, was power.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Fire and Madame President

Clearly something else, something more had gone wrong. "All hands report to the parade field immediately," shouted Commander Page (commandant of the cadets). All of us cadets were ordered through the loud speakers throughout the school to line up on the parade field for a mandatory message from the Commanding officer of the cadets and student body.

Panic and confusion wrapped in order was evident as my friends Argie and Ashley quickly marched into our positions standing next to each other one in front of the other however, to hear what was to be reported. Argie was first to notice the flags dropping to half-mast height. He turned back around and confusion was replaced with what looked like anger. We waited at attention for hours it seemed though minutes they were only for the speech to begin. Then everyone was quiet and still. The Commanding Officer, a senior cadet himself, wearing his dress blues while all of us were in our classroom working blacks, stepped to the podium. But what everyone was looking at, was the woman beside him Tall, thin, and wearing a black suit with a red shirt under her black jacket, and a gold necklace around her slender neck. She wore a large ruby topped gold ring on her right hand, and had very dark brown hair, tied in a bun. She also wore a hat, a rather fancy hat, with a wide angled brim, and a small veil that dropped in front of her face. She looked young, yet distinguished, and wore a long skirt rather than pants, along with black leather boots and black hose. She was formal, and despite the fact not wearing a uniform, impressive, though very creepy. Despite everyone's deeply stressed and worried or confused emotions, she looked to be grinning. Almost instantly, dark, heavy black thunder growling clouds loomed in over the old but still used landmark railroad bridge. The dark clouds drowned the sunlight, and draped the lands in shadow. the seas ebbed out unnaturally early in the day, and remained at low tide for some time, as cadets on watch aboard the od training ship took note of.

"Good Morning Cadets. Moments ago, we received word that a massive fire has destroyed the home of our respected Admiral, and claimed his life, along with the lives of his family," this was clearly hard for him to say aloud. "How or why, is immaterial. All we can do now, is pray for him and his extended family in their time of crisis, to give them strength to go on and keep fighting to live. It is with a heavy heart that I now announce our new leader. She may not be an Admiral, but she has come to us from far out west, the former Governor of Arizona, Madame Strega. She assumes command of our school tomorrow at the change of command ceremony. Please join me in welcoming our powerful new leader, Strega Charr," Everyone clapped along with our Commanding officer, but me and my two friends, we clapped slowly, with more cautionary speculation than most. Strega walked over to the podium now, taking CO Jack Gomes' spot.

"My, what a nice turn out! It gives me no joy taking the reins of this truly wonderful establishment here, but I will do so with as much vigor and force as we saw before. But now my dear cadets, I only ask for your continued excellence, and respect. In due time, your respect will be rewarded. And please, no more clapping for little old me, but for our dearly beloved and so tragically lost, Admiral George," Madame Strega had a very strange accent, no one quite knew what it was, and everyone just assumed it was a native Arizona thing, maybe from Phoenix, anyone else's guess was as good as mine. One thing was certain though, her word choice and tone were both in one word: creepy. After the welcome speech, we were dismissed and sent to our dorms, classes resumed, life went on as normal. Flags remained at half staff for respect, but there was no public school funeral, only a private one for the friends of the deceased Admiral. For the rest of the day, things changed for the inconvenient and strange. Anything requiring water, like showers, sinks, toilets, water fountains, anything and everything that used water simply didn't work.

Anthony had just finished studying in the newly finished extra maritime themed library, and passed Ashley's dorm to get to his own.

"Anthony come meet my Squishy!" She said playfully, and the image in my head made me laugh.

"What do you mean squishy?" I laughed again walking behind her into the room keeping the dorm door open per order of Madame Governor Strega.

"It's the thing that came out of my sink instead of water, look!" It was what looked like, the remains of a dead and definitely squishy jellyfish. While we both burst into hysterics at the sight, it was indeed disgusting. That sink is where she brushed her teeth as well. We stayed in her dorm for a bit hanging out and having a good time, until Argie came to join us again and we had a pizza delivered for the evening.

"So I heard a dead jellyfish came out of your faucet in here? That's crazy!" Argie laughed.

"Its true! " Ashley smiled laughing too.

"It's weird isn't it?" I asked.

"Uhh, yeah! That's not normal!" Argie said frankly.

"Doesn't it strike you as odd that all over the school and with no construction going on anymore, water is the only thing not working?" I asked. I always kept the Emerald key in my pocket, the one that Glinda the Good gave to me, to be able to return whenever I wish with whomever I wish. I also calmed my self in remembering I had the power to conjure my staff of power should things get out of control, and the way I fear they may…

"What are you saying?" They both asked.

"I'm saying we should take note of what's happening. Look at what we know: everything with water stopped, she smiled at mention of a death, and the method of death was fire, is that freakishly similar or what?" I asked, getting goose bumps too though. I remember Glinda and Ozma telling me if I talked about Oz as if it were real to outsiders, I wouldn't be able to return.

"Agreed. Whatever is happening, this woman is weird and creepy," declared Ashley, to which Argie seconded. It was no exaggeration to call Madame Strega weird and creepy, that she was.

The rest of the night was uneventful, but Argie read an email from Madame Strega to all the students, about the water problem, and in it she said she would strive to fix this problem all in good time.

In her office much later that night, secluded behind massive wooden ornately carved wooden doors in the oldest building on campus, Strega Charr stood in her office pacing the floors. The office was quite odd. She boarded the windows, and took out the glass that used to be in the doors. There were candles everywhere, and to the side of the boarded window, a large marble orb on a black wooden stand. She said it was "art". There was a picture of her family above an enormous live fireplace, and there were no chairs for people that were to enter her office. The President of the school paced the floor of her office, ringing her hands as she walked.She  
stopped pacing, facing the fireplace, and smiled at the dorm building opening the boards covering the window lit by the light of the fire.


	3. Chapter 3

Again, every cadet at the school was lined up in formation on the parade field, waiting for the ridiculous ceremony to be over. 7th Company, my company, played two key roles in the show: the band, and the Color Guard. Strega was the only speaker at this ceremony, and rattled on about how happy she was to officially be taking command of the Academy.

"Let the game, begin. My first order: In light of recent events, no cadet is to leave campus grounds under any circumstances. Dismissed!" And with that the entire student body and her subjects learned one thing, life was about to suck.

The campus gates were closed at both entrances, not locked, but now guarded with two Campus Police Cops at each gate. Strega went from the football field where the ceremony was, to the office of the Chief of Police.

"Thank you Chief, I appreciate your cooperation on this. The people need to see my orders are really what's best for them overall, I care about everyone's safety at this Academy, and to do that I need your help sir," The President complimented.

"Thank you Madame Strega, it is my job to do what you say, and protection is my career," The President of the Academy had already left the office before he finished that sentence however. He looked around, but couldn't find her and so he returned to his duties.

A few weeks later when Anthony, Argie, and Ashley returned to being in view of the CIC (Cadet Information Center and one of two watch standing zones,) walking together just finishing classes for the day, they found an ambulance with flashing lights but no sirens. All the cadets were waiting outside, some went in to eat but most stood crowding the front of the dorm building wanting to know what had happened.

"What the hell is going on now?" Anthony asked rhetorically.

"What the devil?" Argie shouted. In the tense time, he swiftly grabbed his love's hand and held her tight, and kissed her hand as he held it.

Suddenly a fellow cadet was rolled out on a hospital bed, dripping in this thick black liquid, it looked like oil. He was followed by Strega exiting the building now and closing the doors behind her. A large flock of frightened pigeons loudly flapped their feathered wings to escape the scene. The sound caught Anthony's attention for a moment.

"People, please SETTLE DOWN, LOCK IT UP! This poor young man, has suffered a brain injury. His condition is fatal, after drinking diesel oil. It is unknown at this time how or why he did this, but it happened, and everything is under control! I assure you this was simply an accident, a very foolish one but an accident just the same! Please give the building time to be cleaned by my staff, and then you can all go back to, whatever it is you do there," Strega had kept one hand in the pocket of her jacket the entire time she was outside, and then walked across the empty parade field back to her office. Today she was wearing a long sleeved, dress that went to her knees, again she wore boots with hose, and the same hat. Her hair was down today, and her shoulders had large pointed shoulder boards, draped with small gold chains, matching the gold chained belt around her waist.

"Everybody make way, get out of the road and let the Ambulance pass! Do you not want to give him a chance to live?" Strega shouted. People made way, and watched the ambulance as it drove off. The Chief of police was also standing with her now, and assisted in telling cadets to make way.

"This is terrible! I mean what the crap is he dead?" I asked angrily.

"Uhh, the guy drank diesel oil, I'm pretty sure he's gone lad," said Argie. It may seem harsh, but at this school, a death caused by something like this did not receive pity. For the family? Of course, but not the victim. It was different for me, I pitied the dead, especially for foolish causes. I also though, was now far too suspicious of this new chick to pass it up.

Later this day, we were in the mess deck eating ice cream to escape the insane humidity the constant dark clouds that refused to give rain produced.

"Guys I've been thinking. I want to visit the Admiral's burned house," I said. They stopped eating and stared at each other.

"Why? What for? When would you go you got class" Ashley asked.

"Well, I don't feel right about that fire, I don't buy it for a second. I want to do a sort of investigation," I replied honestly.

"And what are you looking for?" Asked Argie.

"Well, a clue. Anything that will tell me how this fire started. But I don't want to disturb you guys, it could be dangerous I don't know what I could be dealing with."

"Don't worry we're with you bro" Argie answered.

"Of course, we do this together two idiots are better than one right?" We all laughed but Argie and Ashley got in a funny argument about which one wasn't the idiot.

"Oh geez guys, alright thanks!" I laughed again.

Later this night, I knocked on Argie's door.

"You ready bud?" I asked.

"Yeah meet me at my car, I gotta grab some more stuff," Argie explained. I agreed, and when I got to his car, we finally met up and he drove us to where Admiral George's house was. When we got to the lot, you could still smell the ash, or sulfur. We parked his audi A4, and then got out. Ashley was with us too. We all wore black from head to toe, and brought flash lights and knives for protection. Both were allowed and actually required to be had at the Academy, it wasn't for anything but cutting wrope.

The house was flattened. Everything had burned. Walls, floors, furniture, everything was flat and blackened. I knelt down and moved things around with my hand to try and find something. As did Ashley and Argie. It had been a long time of searching and to be honest we couldn't find anything. There were no gas leak signs of explosion, no electrical outlets for an outlet fire, no clothes for a stupid ironing mistake, a house fire this bad didn't make sense. Suddenly, Argie grabbed me and Ashley, and dropped to the floor.

"What is it what's wrong?" we asked him.

"It's Strega! She's right over there!"

"What the hell is she doing here?" Ashley asked.

"One might ask the same of you three. Did I or did I not issue an order to all cadets, to not leave campus?" Madame Strega sternly asked.

"You did, but Madame we just had to look for a cause to the fire, some kind of clue to," Argie was interrupted. Strega raised an eyebrow and turned her head. Argie stood in front of both me and Ashley.

"Whatever you can shove your reasons. Anthony the next time you disobey me, there will be hell to pay. Get your selves back on my Campus or so help me!" threatened Strega.

The three of us got back in Argie's car and drove silently back to the Academy.

"I'm sorry Arie and Ashley, I just wanted to find something, this doesn't feel right to me," I solemnly apologized. I felt terrible for getting all of us in trouble, for something stupid I wanted to do.

"Don't be sorry Anthony, I think you're on to something. And if you look at what just happened another way, I think you got the clue you were looking for. Strega. What was she doing at the house? If she truly is new here straight from Arizona, how does she know where Admiral George's house is? And lastly," Ashley finished this one.

"Lastly and most importantly, why does she not want us three at that house? What is she hiding?"

When we got back on campus, the gat Guard told us Madame Strega wanted us to meet her in her office. It was already midnight, but thankfully a Friday.

We sat in Blinn Hall, where the President of the School's office was and waited for the President. The heat from all the candles and the fireplace made us sweat.

"holy mother its hot as hell in here," Argie said panting.

"yeah feels like hell too," Ashley agreed. Anthony was staring at the large marble ball, intrigued.

Then, Strega entered the room.

"You three are confined to your own quarters for three days. When that time is up you will be under strict camera surveillance, and you are forbidden to leave campus, FOR ANY REASON! DO YOU HEAR ME?" The President screamed.

"Why?! Why is it so important to you that we don't leave campus? What are we going to do that's so dangerous?"

"If you don't listen to me as President of the Academy I can make your lives worse than a living hell, do not underestimate me my fine gentlemen, you have no idea what I'm capable of! And as for you my pretty one! You will stay away from me, and if you're a smart little girl, away from these two, criminals. Now go, Fly your bratty selves out of my office away with you!" The President yelled and threatened us all again, and sent us away to our rooms. To ensure we were obedient now, campus police patrolled the dorm hall ways every hour on the hour.

"Whatever game she's playing, bring it in because sister you have no idea what we are capable of," I said aloud while walking behind Argie and Ashley.


	4. Chapter 4

Over the passing weeks, it started to feel like Madame President (of the school) and the Chief of campus security, were having a romantic relationship. More and more the two of them appeared out in public together, and on multiple occasions the chief would be seen entering Strega's office in the wee hours of the night, and not be seen until the next morning in the same clothes, though with disheveled hair.

Not many people cared, but it did create another thing for people to start rumors about, as they often do at that Academy. Argie Anthony and Ashley however didn't care. All they cared about, was the fact that since the night at the burned house, the three of them have not been allowed out of their quarters apart from eating and classes. Finally the day came when our confinement was up, and the chief unlocked each of our dorms. The clinking clanking of the large steel keys hitting one another jingled like bells as he walked away after each freedom set. Finally they each decided to have a secret meeting to discuss what to do next and where to go from here about Strega. Clearly she was planning something, and we were determined to find out what. I already knew in my heart what she wanted, but I needed them to find out for themselves, otherwise I won't be able to return to Oz.

The night of the meeting came and we met late at night still in uniform, near the canal banks, behind the dorm building and near the wind turbine.

"So, I'm glad you both came tonight this is good we need to talk about stuff," I said to them whispering.

"Alright, so what's up? What do we do about Strega?" Argie asked. Ashley sighed.

"We need to observer her more, learn her routine and quirks. That will tell us a great deal of things about her. By the way on that note have you two noticed we haven't seen her around campus or even just outside since we got caught at the Admiral's house?" I pointed out, subtly of course.

"Oh wow it has hasn't it? What do you think that means?" Argie said.

"Well she's the President of the school I think she's just busy, who cares? It's almost two in the morning now," Ashley yawned.

"Or, maybe she's sick, or something is happening to her that she doesn't want people to see…Just something to think about. Let's take this time to be extra careful. No one goes anywhere alone again, and stay close to water," I advised. Meanwhile the past few weeks, the President's email and office have both been bombarded with disgruntled cadets wanting answers to their problems, which only seemed to be growing.

Back in the President's office, a few hours later, the candles extinguished themselves, and the Chief who was in the room with her, slammed the large doors shut as the President fell to the ground and screamed. The spell that was cast after the trial to bind her in seemingly human form, is wearing off. Her attire transformed into a highly out-of-place black floor length dress. The shoulders were puffed and shaped like bells attached to the sleeves. At the wrist of the sleeve, they made a point and had a hole for her middle finger to go through. The waist line of the dress was angled deeply down from when looking at her, left to right. The skirt flared out on the back side, in appearance and effect, compensating for lack of a cape no doubt. Her eyes flashed periodically from brown to yellow, and her lips turned bright red, filling with venom. She could control the flash of her eyes, and still mask her lips, but the gown was part of her now.

The Chief gave her an iron poking stick from the fire-place for her to use now as a cane to stand up again, she was taller than before.

"Madame Strega, are you alright?" The woman had her back to him, and she was covering her face with her hands, bending over. Then she dropped the iron stick, and lowered her hands, slowly turning around to look at him. Her fingers were longer, and now had razor-sharp silver nails.

Her nose had become hooked, her chin sharper, and eyebrows arched.

"Oh, my dear Chief, I am far better than fine," and she gave a small chuckle.

The next day, she did make an appearance. Never any speaking, but made her presence known throughout the campus, even walked down the halls of every academic building during school hours.

It was an uneventful day, until dinner time. It was supposed to be roast beef, which to everyone's surprise was a welcomed announcement. However upon seeing what landed in their plates practically still mooing, made some cadets actually vomit. Madame Strega entered the room shortly after about five cadets rushed out.

She moved both her hands in circular motions, and said, "Alright enough! QUIET! I've heard enough of these complaints! About the food, and water and the way of LIFE AT THIS SCHOOL! Who takes an old woman's food services for granted? MUST HAVE BEEN RAISED ON A BARN! CHIEF! GET IN HERE! Detain these cadets over here for breach of contract! They don't want to eat my food? Well then my little pretties, FIND YOUR OWN DAMNED FOOD!" Madame Strega screamed with that untraceable accent of hers. The Chief hurried over and gathered the group of cadets that she wanted detained in his office.

"What are you doing stop! Stop we haven't said any of that! We're trying to eat! Our friends got sick what are you doing to us?!" the table of innocent freshmen protested and their eyes teared with fear. Madame President walked closer to them and then looked at everyone else in the room, but back at the ones she was furious with.

"Oh for God's sake stop whining! Hush will you?! Get them out of here Chief! OUT I SAY OUT!" The President screamed at the top of her lungs. Her eyes flickered yellow again, and she turned sharply towards the wall to hide it briefly until she had control again.

The Chief got the students up and out but they violently protested, kicking and screaming, and crying out for help, but no one knew what they could do, and then they were gone.

"What in Grimm's name are you all staring at? You wanna rebel against me? All of you? Give me your best shot, I dare you! Until you have anything other than disdain to throw my way, you can all shove your complaints! Good night Mass Maritime!" The President stormed out, walking through the mess deck and exiting through the glass doors in the back. Ashley, Argie and I all were frankly stunned. No one said a word, and everyone marched everywhere they went in fear of breaking even the smallest of the President's rules.  
The three of us were walking back up to the dorm building after dropping our dishes off, when they said the thing I had waited to hear for a while now.

"Wow, what a bitch! Those guys didn't do anything and she just yelled and screamed at them publicly, and then threw them in the police office! What the hell is her problem? I mean it was like watching an evil witch! She's insane!" Ashley vented.

"That my friend is a witch if I ever saw one of Anthony's definitions of one. That was stupid and useless, worthless woman," Argie also vented.

"So you both think that was very Witch-like of her do you?" I asked for clarification.

"Yeah did you see that F***ed up woman? What the hell is wrong with her! It seriously wouldn't surprise me if she was the one who burned the building, and killed the guy who supposedly drank the il, what a load of frigging bullshit that was," Argie yelled, stressed and worried.

"Guys, there's something I need to tell you now," I said to them.


	5. Chapter 5

"What is it Anthony, do you know something?" Asked Argie.

"Yes, yes I do. But Argie, Ashley, I need you both to let me finish, and before I say anything you need to tell me everything you think is happening no matter how crazy it sounds. In fact the crazier it sounds the better," I replied.

"Alrighty, well, I thought she sounded an awful lot like the Witch from your favorite stories, to be frank. She was crazy, loud, and wicked pissed!" Argie answered.

"Yeah to be honest she kinda sounded like the wicked witch of the west," Ashley added. She had read the original books, and saw a lot of freakish similarities.

"You both truly believe this?" I pushed.

"Yes, what can you tell us about this and why does that matter?" They asked.

"I had to wait until the time you believed it yourself, and it appears that time is now. That woman truly is The Wicked Witch of the West. Oz is real, I have been there twice. She has tried to kill me, and my friends, and take the Emerald City multiple times. She is beyond clinically insane, immortal, and the single most powerful Witch in all of Oz's history. She was on Trial the last time I was there to take punishment for her crimes against humanity in Oz, and they banished her here. But she was supposed to be without magic and memory, but I think we underestimated her power. Now she's trying to find a way to get back to Oz, and she knows I am the only way. I have the Emerald Key, the one Glinda gave to me so I could return with anyone I wanted whenever I wanted. But this also means the good people like Glinda, Ozma, Tin man, TikTok, all of them are real. I don't have any way to contact them though. We must have faith, Glinda will protect us if things get out of hand, and also, I am a well-established Wizard myself," and with that I conjured my staff. In a small cloud of glitter, the Altar Staff appeared, and the sapphire behind its trademark top lit brightly, and hummed deeply. "I still have tons to learn about magic, but I can get by,"

"Wow, I don't know really what to say, this is great, I'm glad we have our own wizard to help if things get crazy, which they probably will, but Anthony you need to contact Glinda, I can't believe what I'm saying! You need to tell her what's happening," Ashley advised. She Truly wasn't used to speaking about Oz in the present tense, and as if it were fact, which it is.

"Well there is one thing. That marble ball in the Witch's Office, I mean sorry, Madame President's Office, that I could probably use to contact Lady Glinda," I said.

"It's settled then, you will sneak in and Ashley and I will create a diversion and distraction long enough for you to use it effectively. We will not let anything happen to you brother," Argie said sincerely.

"A storm is coming guys, I won't let anything happen to you either, you mean too much to me for that to happen," I replied honestly from my heart.

The next day, it was kind of sporadic. The President/Witch still wearing the witch gown, patrolled the grounds day and night, Instilling fear just with her looks. The next week was insane.

There was a terrible lightning storm, no rain, no wind, just thunder as loud as jet engines, and as bright as the sun but only for fractions of a second. Back in the President's Office, Madame Strega was changing again.

Yelling in pain for the transformation, her attire grew additions. Her shoulders sprouted many black leather spikes, and her hat grew much larger, and tall and pointy. At last a long leather cape grew from the dress' back and was torn a little at the bottom. Her eyes were permanently yellow, and her lips were now not able to hide. Lastly, through the flashes of lightning, the Witch screamed out one last time in the white woman body of Madame Strega. The fire in the fireplace went out. All the electricity on campus went out, and the earth rumbled. Thunder roared over the plains, and the seas crashed against the sides of the training ship and the docks violently cascading walls of water not terribly high. Her skin turned a glowing, vibrant, forest green. The Wicked Witch of the West stood up in the midst of the darkness of her old office, and grinned showing her fangs behind her venom filled lips, and cackled, her laugh echoing throughout the campus. She walked over to the marble orb and it hummed loudly, coming to life with magic. The marble ball showed the Wicked Witch Argie, Anthony and Ashley, frowning looking out the window in fear. Her eye lids strained to open wider than normal.

"ANTHONY! CURSES! CURSES! I REMEMBER THAT HORRIBE LITTLE BOY! CURSE OU ANTHONY AND YOUR PRETTY LITTLE FRIEDNS! YOU SHOULD BE DEAD I WILL SEE YOU DEAD OR SO HELP ME!" The Wicked Witch yelled loudly. The Chief stood behind her, un affected by the transformation.

"And you my dear, what an unexpected pleasure! My beauties, my strong Winkie Guards! Her ring lit up brightly and made a tone with magice activating a spell. She with her hand in a claw, tossed it to the Chief, who also went through a transoformation, as did every member of the MMA faculty. Their clothes turned to a dark green overcoat flared from the waist down, lined in red velvet. White gloved, and carrying enormous gut stealing spears, and topped with large black feather shako hat. The Wicked Witch's army had been created.

Anthony, Argie, and Ashley stood next to each other in the darkness looking through the window. There were 2000 souls at this academy, how are we going to protect them from the devil's wife?


	6. Chapter 6

Come morning, all hell had been unleashed. In the night a terrible storm had thrown trees and other debris around the school grounds. The campus gates were now deadlocked, and guarded by the Vinkus uniformed Winkie Guards from the Wicked Witch of the West's private police. No one was allowed in or out, or else the Guards would likely put those enormous spears to use. Madame Witch was nowhere to be seen as of yet at this time.

"Ashley, have you seen Argie?" I worriedly asked her. I hadn't seen him since the night before and there were no classes today. Amidst all this terror, it was natural to assume the worst.

"No, no I haven't, I'm starting to get worried Anthony,"

"Alright you stay here I'm going to try and find him, if he comes here give me a text,"

"No I'm coming with you!"

"It could be dangerous I don't know what we're dealing with here Ashley!"

"I don't care! I'm coming with you to help you find him we do this as a team!"

I nodded, and grabbed my staff. It was a ittle taller than me, all white, and made of Quoxwood, a tree in Oz. We ran down all five flights of stairs and got out the dorm building. It was eerily quiet. No one dared to disobey the President of the school now, and with no classes, the Winkie Guards had locked the cadets in their dorms. But with no electronic contact with Argie, I assumed that Madame President had him hostage.

"Where are we going?" Shouted Ashley, keeping up with me easily as we ran across the parade field.

"Blinn, I think Madame Strega may have taken him hostage, I have a hunch, if I'm wrong we'll go look somewhere else!" I shouted back. The winds were insane. It was equal to a Nor Easter, and lightning from the storm the night before continued on. Rain poured this time, which I thought is probably why Strega didn't show herself today.

We got to Blinn, but there were three Winkie Guards blocking the door.

"HO!" The guards yelled in their deep collective voice. At the sound of their yell, they charged aiming their spears towards us. Ashley tried to fight them with punches and kicks, dodging the lunges of the enormous spears. Anthony slammed the bottom of the staff on the ground and thrust his free hand towards the guards. With powerful magic the staff shot a bolt of lightning through two of them, instant death. The third had pinned Ashley to the ground, aiming the spear at her throat. I snuck up behind him, and beat him with forceful swings of my staff. He was thrown on his back, freeing Ashley, who was too shocked to move right now. The Winkie Guard shouted "HO!" again and this time smacked the staff out of my hands. Ashley caught it midair and tried to use it for me, but it was no use to her. The Guard sliced open my chest and I screamed with the sharp sudden pain, as blood spilled down my front. Ashley now charged with my staff towards the Guard who was too focused on me to notice behind him. She smacked the Guard so hard with my staff, that she split his head open, and killed him.

"Alright very well done Ashley! Thank you!"

"Not too bad yourself brother! You're bleeding, really bad, oh my God are you ok Anthony, this is really bad! You're gonna be ok! Keep breathing you'll be fine!"

"It's ok, it hurts like hell, but I'm not gonna die it's a slash not a gouge, c'mon, the real fight is about to begin,"

Panting, and still bleeding, I used what little energy I had left, to body slam the door open. With a loud crack, the wood split and the door flew open. It was empty. Except of course, with dead bodies of other students on the floor, drenching the floor in blood.

Ashley recognized some, as did Anthony. They tread carefully so as to respect their now dead friends and shipmates. Tears filled their hearts, but it only strengthened their spines to press on.

The halls were black with scorched wood, fire had been through this hall at some point.

We got to her office, and heard a really weird noise, from an animal coming from the other side of the door. It was a monkey. Then we heard a voice.

"yes, YES! YES I HAVE DONE IT! GOOD MONKEY! MY SWEET CHISTERY! YOU'RE BACK WITH ME! TAKE YOUR ARMY AND BRING ME THAT KEY AND IT'S HIDERS! TEAR THOSE TWO TO SHREDS LEAVE NONE ALIVE! FLY!" And With that, the ground shook violently like from an earthquake. Ashley and I ran to the nearest window, and what we saw terrified us. Human sized baboons with fangs, and huge claws, winged with tattered skin, flew out of the ground and headed towards the dorm building.

"Oh my God Anthony what the hell is happening?" Ashley panicked.

"It's the Witch, she brought her other army here, the Flying Monkeys; she wants the only thing that can bring her back to Oz, my key,"

"Alright well we're not letting this bitch do anything more! Break down the door!" Ashley yelled passionately.

"Leaving so soon?! I wouldn't hear of it! How kind of you two infernal LITTLE CRETINS TO DARE TO ENTER MY OFFICE!" The Witch appeared right behind us. "What are you doing here?" asked the Witch.

"We know you took Argie and we're not leaving until you give him back!" Anthony yelled, pounding the staff on the ground.

The Witch cackled, which didn't bleed, but severely strained Ashley's ears. "When you give me that Key!"

"If you don't hand over that key, I'll, I'll,"

"I'll, I'll!" The Wicked Witch cackled again. "You'll what? How bout we stop all this talking and do things! How about a little fire Ashley?"

"NOOOO!" I was too slow, and the Wicked Witch too quick. With a humming charge of her ring wearing hand, she threw a red fireball at Ashley, but she jumped out of its way and only was slightly burned, her uniform anyway. Her face got covered in charr.

I used my staff and cast endless spells her way. I shot streams of water in all forms at her, ice, liquid and steam. The Witch seemed to absorb my spells with one hand and shoot fireballs with the other. Until finally she screamed with frustration, and shot a steady stream of lava, filling the room.

"AHHH! How's that? YOU WANTED WAR? OH THEN IT"S A FIGHT YOU'VE NEVER SEEN YOU SHALL RECEIVE!" A sparking blue light poked through the lava, and exposed a round magical shield around me and Ashley.

"My turn," keeping the shield activated, I kissed the Emerald Key and then put it back in my pocket whispering, 'Now Glinda, come now'.

And with that white light filled the room. Bubbles rained down from the center of the ceiling as the lava hardened to rock, and then disappeared. The bubbles gradually got bigger, until a six foot diameter bubble floated gently down, and popped. Lady Glinda the Good wearing a silver suit of armor gilded elegantly. The skirt had a skirt attached for style, and her staff was a golden sun, as was her crown. Her curled blonde hair graced her glittering appearance. I bowed with her entrance.

"Elphaba, enough with this, return the boy, and all will be okay. If you disobey, I will end you," Lady Glinda meant this with every fiber.

"The Key! Give me the key or he dies!" She told us that Argie was tied to a pole and being tortured by one of the Winkie Guards in her office.

"you first," bid Lady Glinda. The Wicked Witch snapped her fingers and Argie appeared in a flash of fire, that unfortunately did hurt him. He was bleeding all over, the torture was for pain, not death.

"Thank you Elphaba, you may have the key AFTER I use it," Anthony handed her the key, despite what this sounded like I trusted her enough to believe she already had a plan, or at least I hoped she did. Glinda used the key and opened a portal in the ground by singing a spell to activate it, the same one she had used to send him back home twice now. Ashley ran over to Argie and hugged him tightly.

"youre alive im so glad youre still alive, I love you so much" Argie hugged her back as Glinda tilted her head and smiled. The Wicked Witch disappeared now, retreating it seemed.

"The key will work for only two people Anthony, let your friends decide for themselves to join you, if they wish. When you return to Oz, meet me at the Emerald City with Ozma. Ozspeed my child, and good luck," Lady Glinda kissed each of us on our foreheads for protection, and then departed in her bubble back to Oz. Anthony quickly jumped in after agreeing that in his condition, Argie should join. Doctors have no way to care for curse inflicted injuries. We hugged, and then I jumped. Then Argie purposefully fell into the portal. A fraction of a second before the portal closed, the Wicked Witch threw two firebombs to not kill, but throw Ashley to the side, away from the portal, and with their shockwaves, give the portal more magic to stay open longer, and she reappeared.

She jammed her razor sharp nails into Ashley's chest the side that guarded her heart, and twisted. Ashley screamed in agony.

"You see? I can have what want most! Thanks to you my pretty!" and the Wicked Witch of the West released the girl and slid through the last bit of the portal, returning to Oz. With a loud shut, the portal closed, and Ashley was left on the floor, holding her heart while Anthony, Argie and now the world's most powerful evil Witch returned once again, to the Land of Oz.


	7. Chapter 7

In Mass Maritime, the moment the portal closed, Ashley was left alone, bleeding from her chest and crying feeling guilty that she let the Wicked Witch of the West through the portal. Not that there was anything she could have done anyway, she just being in love with Argie, felt like she let him down. It was dead quiet. Many innocent students had lost their lives to the fires of the Witch, or the spears of her guards. Much destruction had been done to the school as a campus from her spells, the Monkeys, and the storms. Ashley had nothing to do but wait. However long it took for Argie and Anthony to return. Until that time she needed serious medical attention.

"Help, HELP! IM BLEEDING SOMEBODY HELP ME!" cried out Ashley desperately, thinking no one would hear her. Then, she heard footsteps shuffling in the distance. A woman all dressed in white and with blond hair, came to her aid. She picked her up in her arms and carried her away to the school sick bay.

The woman was the Head Nurse. Born and raised in Texas, she was a southern woman through and through. Her accent; her morals; all southern. But she had a large heart, and a sensitive soul, and had to help the poor beaten girl on the floor in Blinn Hall.

"Thank you Dr. I know how busy you must be," Ashley sat up in the hospital bed.

"Not at all, you do have quite a lot of strength in you! I'm Julia by the way," smiled the nurse.

"Ashley," she replied shaking her hand.

"So how did you get like this? You must have had a terrible fight with the Wicked Witch of the West to get burned up like this," Dr. Julia let a secret spill, but the Oziad (Oz's ancient book of magical and civil law) did not react as Ashley already knew at this point Oz exists.

"Wait, how do you know about that? Did... Are you... Do you know Anthony?" Asked Ashley slowly connecting the emerald dots in her head.

"Yes, I have been his friend since high school actually," continued Julia, tending to Ashley's wounds. "I came here from California where I'd been living till now basically, and when I got here, heard there was an opening in the medical department and I remembered this is where he went to college, so I got hired," she explained.

"Oh you're _Julia_! I've heard so much about you it's nice to finally meet you!" Ashley approved, and gained a new friend.

Ashley offered to help Dr. Julia treat the other students that were seriously injured, and they cared and cured many of them thank goodness.

Anthony blacked out. His head had gone numb, and his hearing muffled, and then he was gone. He felt like he was floating through time and space, and indeed he was, as he left Earth, and landed in Oz. There was a thump. He was wet and covered in muck.

"Oh that's disgusting, just great! What a stupid place to land in! Seriously Argy! Out of all the places in Oz, this is it?" I asked, but with no response. I stood up and looked around, I was in the middle of a forest, and standing in a shallow lake, a swamp. All over the swamp was a misty fog, a haze thick but not blinding, and only for a few feet above the water it covered. It was also night time, and the Jackall Moon was out. Something wicked either was coming, or already had come, as the jackal moon indicates here in Oz. Well I thought, if I'm in a swamp, I'd say that means Cloud swamp, which means I'm in the Gillikin forest all the way North, and very close to Glinda's castle. Now back to finding Argy. I suddenly heard loud gasping for air and splashes of water. I ran towards the noise, it was Argy struggling to get out of the water, he landed face down in the swamp, not up right like me.

"Hang on Argy I'm gonna get you out!" I shouted, and conjured m staff with another snap of my fingers, and in a rain of glitter, the Altar Staff I grasped firmly in my hands. The sapphire lit brightly, and Argy lifted right out of the swamp, and was sat on the bank in the grass next to me.

"Are you alright Argy?"

"Yeah I'm good, thank you, that was crazy! So, where are we?" he asked.

"Well, from the looks of it, I'd say Cloud Swamp in Gillikin, Glinda's state." Argy and Anthony having departed Earth before the Wicked Witch of the West plunged her clawed hand into Ashley's chest, did not know that happened, and therefore, felt there was nothing to worry about. It was a blessing that the Head Nurse of MMA had been scrounging the grounds for living people in need of medical attention that night.

"Ok, so we're her in Oz, and hey I noticed all my injuries are healed," Argy interrupted himself. He was right, the wounds had completely healed.

"Mine too, Oz does that, the land its self is magic Argy, it was founded with magic, and it creates magic. Actually, if like me you stay here long enough, you'll become a Wizard like me,"

"Cool! Though I don't plan on it, I need to eventually go back, Ashley is there,"

"Speaking of which, Lady Glinda said when we arrive in Oz, we are to meet her and Ozma at the Emerald City," I reminded him.

"Oh right, that's true. Which way is that?"

"Well, we are north, so we need to find the Yellow Brick Road and go south, or just head South from here,"

"Let's just go South from here, we can do it easy," He insisted. Just a few seconds after we started wlking, I heard something.

"Do you hear that? What is it? It sounds like somebody crying," I noted.

"Yeah I do what the heck is going on? You know this place better than I do Anthony,"

"I haven't been here before, I think, it's hard to remember its been a while now,"

We heard it again. Then I saw something.

"QUICK GET DOWN!" I whispered. And we hid behind a tree stump. Peering over the edge, I could make out the glowing lilac figure of a ghost. It was a woman, wearing a dress, and there was a dark line going around her neck, jagged and deep. She was very transparent, and only moving over the water.

"Ohh, I get it now Argy! It's a ghost of the thing you loved most. Whenever someone you know in Oz dies, their ghost appears to you in cloud swamp, if it was someone you loved,"

"Oh hey that's wicked cool!" Argie said, watching the ghostly girl moan across the swamp.

"We should probably get going now,"

"Why?"

"We have a lot to do, and she may not want to see me right now, we had a very emotional ending," I told him the story of her death by Princess Langwidere taking her head in the throne room last Cycle (1 Ozian year, measured in sync with their moons). Being back in Oz, my memory of my dead fellow Earth friend, returned.

We again were about to head out, having our supernatural tastes satisfied, when the ghost saw us, and screamed, flying very fast towards us. I spun my staff in my hands, and lit the sapphire brightly to warn her I had magic and would use it if need be.

"HALT IN THE NAME OF HER GOODNESS!" The Ghost yelled. "State your business here!" She demanded.

"This is my friend Argie, I am Anthony, and we are answering Lady Glinda's call for aid, which came at a price for Argie sadly," I answered honestly. The ghost upon hearing my name looked horrified.

"Oh shit! Anthony, I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you, I didn't mean to scare you, that's just what I do here now!" She laughed. The laughter loosened her already severed head, and it fell off.

"Ooops! Clumsy me! Apologies I'm sure that didn't appease your appetites!" She laughed again putting her head back on and screwing it on tight this time.

"Anthony, before you leave, which by the way, Lurline's blessings be upon you and your friends for your next mission here,"

"Thank you," I respectfully bowed my head from the neck.

"But you should know you are not my first visitor. Blue came, and then the Wicked Witch of the West. She tortured that poor Dragon, stabbed him, burnt him to a crisp, and then chopped him up and melted the pieces, it was dreadful, there was nothing I could do I'm only a ghost now, and Anthony, she did it for one reason. She wants to find the Ruby Slippers and,"

"Oh my God Natalee you didn't tell her where they are now did you?" I yelled.

"NO! What the hell is wrong with you just down and let me finish please! I told her the wrong location to give you some time, but Anthony she's quick, and has a sixth sense for acts like these, she will find them. I don't need to tell you if she does get the Ruby Slippers, you really don't stand a chance," Natalee seriously warned.

"I need to kill her then, it's the only way this darkness stops for good, thank you Natalee, you've been a good and faithful helper, even after your death, I was worried for a moment you buckled under her spells and fear tactics. We must be going now, thank you, and see you again soon probabaly," I waved and smiled.

"You're welcome Anthony, just remember anytime you need answers come to my swamp. Be strong," And she slowly faded away. And with that, Argy clearly had many questions, to which I happily answered all, as we set course in our hike to the Emerald City.


	8. Chapter 8

*one day earlier*

There was a loud crack and a green flash. The Wicked Witch of the West with her full uniform of the black leather pointed hat, multi layered pitch black gown torn and ripped in parts and stained with the blood of her previous victims, and pointed spiked shoulders, complete with enormous long cape, she landed in the grass fields of the Cloud Swamp.

"Stupid cursed swamp! When I claim those Ruby Slippers, I'll dry up all of Oz!" The Wicked Witch swore to herself, talking as if there actually were someone else with her. Mentioning the Slippers got her to thinking about her sister.

"Oh Nessa, I wish you were here, I could use an ally of my equal power! But you're dead and gone because I failed you, and Father. Please forgive me," The Witch could not cry, her tears had dried up many years ago. Then, covering her face in her hands, she fell to her knees beside a tree. She heard a squeaking and moaning in the distance. She looked up removing her hands. She saw the dark grey figure of a woman in a wheelchair, rolling towards her.

"Nessa, Nessa is that you?" The Wicked Witch gasped loudly, so pleased to see her long dead sister one more time.

"Yes Elphaba it is me, what did you bring me here for?" Nessarose Thropp asked. The Witch's yellow eyes widened, and then she understood, the way Ozmists were summoned was by first being in Cloud Swamp, and then thinking about the lost loved ones.

"I need you here with me Nessa, those stupid little Earth swines have killed our family stole my shoes and-"

"I'm sorry wait, your shoes? Oh trust me dear, those shoes are mine I took them to my grave!" Nessa declared.

"Oh no you didn't! I went to that farmhouse and then Glinda the Good sent them away! And then they went to Natalee and when I burned her and took her head, the shoes were separated! No one in Oz knows where they are now!" Elphaba explained, Nessa told the reason for her not knowing was that she was dead, obviously.

"hush will you?! Do you hear that? We are not alone," Nessa said. Elphaba's right hand hummed with a charge for a fireball, and fire engulfed her hand as she waited for whoever it was to appear.

It was Bluefire.

"What in Grim's name are you doing here Bluefire? Leave this place right now or I'll burn you from the inside out!" She thrusted back her hand to get ready firing.

"Wait! Do your worst Witch! I am here to stop this meeting from happening!" Blue tried to be courageous.

"AHHHHHH!" The Witch lit both her hands, and her eyes to fire the most she ever had, but her sister stopped her.

"No Elphie no! Hold it! I believe we can arrange a little something for our dear Mr. Blue," Nessa smiled, Elphaba had inadvertently lit herself entirely on fire with rage, but it slowly died down.

"Alright, what do you want?" Asked Blue skeptically.

"You will allow me to tell my sister the location of the Slippers, and my sister doesn't kill you," Nessa said simply. The Witch of the West circled Blue.

"What do I get out of this?" Blue asked.

"Your life. My sister doesn't incinerate you, and you will never be targeted by us sinsister, dark, villainous sisters again, you have my word," Added The Wicked Witch. Nessa smiled with approval.

"I let you talk, and I live and I'm never targeted again? That's the deal you want to make?" Clarified Blue. The Wicked Witch's eyes lit entirely yellow, entrancing Blue to be submissive to whatever they say.

"With all my heart," replied Nessa, as the Wicked Witch offered her long sharply nailed green hand.

They shook on it, and Nessa whispered to her sister. The Witch cackled and then again both her hands hummed with the fireball charge, as did her eyes ignite.

"Wait what are you doing you said you wouldn't kill me!" Shouted Blue, as the Wicked Witch cast another spell simultaneously to ground Blue so he can't escape.

"Since when are Witches trustworthy? YOU STUOID FOOL! YOU HAVE JUST BETRAYED YOUR ENTIRE COUNTRY! AND in turn, your dearly beloved friends, the Royal Family, and your OWN SOUL!" Shouted the Wicked Witch who threw so much fire on Blue, that the entire forest caught fire. The Witch laughed hysterically, and then Nessa's ghost disappeared, wheeling away, muttering "It won't be long for me now," and thenshe was gone. In a thunderous cloud of fire, the Wicked Witch was about to leave, but saw another ghost, a lilac colored woman rubbing a red ring around her neck. The Wich winked, and then continued departing.


	9. Chapter 9

So the next afternoon Anthony and Argy continued running, still wearing earth clothes, and Anthony had the staff out just in case still. From this moment on he wouldn't really ever put it away. They were heading south as determined by Argy's use of the sun's position from his experience back on earth with sail boats.

They were supposed to meet Lady Glinda at the Emerald City, but when they got to the yellow brick road, there was an obstruction. A beautiful white and blue and pink flower covered carriage pulled by proud horses who changed the color of their manes, and protected by the Home Guard. Men and Women in the Emerald City uniform the combo cover hat, the emerald green flared trench coat with choker collar that flared from the waist down, and large combat boots, armed with rifles. We stopped walking when the Commander of the movement ordered a halt. Then one of the guards opened the carriage door and a sparkling female hand awaited the guard's assistance. Then an enormous light purple gown with crystal studs all over flowed out, and a beautiful blonde curly haired woman exited gracefully as another guard gave her the gilded sun topped-staff matching the suns on her crown. Everyone bowed, as did I and urged the unknowing Argy to follow suit.

"Lady Glinda the Good, you truly are the purest and most sincere form of beauty in the Land," I said to her. "It's so great to see you again Glinda," I finished, and she gave a warm hug, as she tilted her head gracefully and smiled.

"The pleasure is mine dear friend, know that I and all of Oz has missed you very much. I see you brought a friend," Lady Glinda smiled, wanting to be introduced.

"Yes Your Goodness, this is my brother like friend, Argy, he was with me at the Academy before the attack," I explained. Argy respectfully kissed Glinda's offering hand, on the ring which perfectly surprised her.

"Well, I daresay sir you are already to be quite an admirable addition to the respect and care I have for Anthony, it is a sign of such gross insult to kiss the hand, and a sign of most sincere and powerful loyalty and trust to do so on the ring. You are impeccably brought up my good man, I appreciate that," Lady Glinda bowed from her neck giving thanks and respect. "You both must be sweaty hungry and exhausted, join me in my carriage, we're headed the same way anyway!" She offered. We accepted, and arrived with lively conversation to the throne room shortly after. Diplomacy for rookies in Oz had only begun.

"Argy, this is the Queen of Oz, only call her Ozma, don't turn your back on her literally, introduce yourself after bowing very low but maintaining eye contact on her, and, what else Lady Glinda?" I asked before opening the doors.

"Don't ask her questions about the mission, she will tell you herself, that's why we're here, just have faith, take a deep breath, and be your true self my friend," Glinda assured the nervous Argy.

"Alright, you go first, I'll smile and nod until she talks to me directly!" Argy nervously laughed out loud. There was a glorious feast at a set table in front of the empty throne, and standing dressed all in green and gold silks, was Ozma Tippetarius herself. The three of us bowed lowly, and maintained eye contact, and she nodded to us.

"Lady Glinda the Good, thank you for coming. Anthony, an honor as always, but who is this?" She asked quickly.

"I am Argy your Majesty, a very close friend to Anthony from the Academy on Earth," he replied.

"Wonderful! I look forward to seeing you on missions valued guest. ON that note, Anthony I have a new one for you. I have reason to believe that as of yesterday morning, someone has betrayed us, in telling the Wicked Witch where the Ruby Slippers are. Anthony, I don't not need to remind you what will happen if she does get them," She reminded me of the deal with the devil, and the ordeals with the Nome King at my last visit, etc. Basically, every single villain would become limitlessly powerful, and forever immortal, everything all of us love would be taken from us forever. It took a while to explain everything to Argy, but he understood.

"Ah, so the Wicked Witch made a deal with the Devil after coming back to life with Chistery's help the first time to be immortal, if she could claim the Ruby Slippers, and kill Glinda, Anthony and Natalee," he repeated.

"Yes, but since she never found the Ruby Slippers, and was only able to kill Natalee, she never became immortal, she only increased tremendously her powers and almost relinquished her previous limitations. For instance water still hurts her, but it's not enough to kill her with a bucket, she needs to be submerged, for a while. If we plan to kill her, we need something far stronger," Glinda added.

"There is a way," I said finally. "Everyone here is thinking it but no one is willing to admit or accept its usefulness,"

"Anthony its unreliable you intend one thing but cast another, it's too dangerous, we cannot risk this many lives! Too many people are dying already in my Kingdom!" Ozma exclaimed passionately.

"But it's the only way! If she gets the slippers, we have nothing. We will most certainly all die. And then what, Majesty? If we and you die, Oz will seize to exist. If we die, the Wicked Witch of the West will carry out the bloody Siege of Oz forever, mark my words," everyone stopped talking, and Glinda teared slightly, her heart going out for all the brave military guards and innocent civilians that have already fallen as ash to the Witch.

"I will see to that matter if that will set your mind at ease, but gentlemen, I need options, this cannot be allowed to happen, but I cannot also risk the very heart of my Country on one uncertainty," Ozma said.

"If she were to fall from a great hight, there would be nothing enough to resurrect," Argy suggested.

"There's always another curse. But what if we did both? Do my plan first, and then have her fall? From… from the roof of this tower? It's the tallest one in the city, above cloudline!" I suggested.

"That my friend is exactly what we should do. Emplore both physics and magic to take down the demon Witch. Alright it's settled, your first task gentlemen, is to bring me the Grimmerie, the Wicked Witch's book of spells and curses, hidden inn her castle out West high in the Greater Kells, in Kiamo Ko. Once you have it, return here at once, and we will begin training it to obey verbatim, there can be no mistakes men. Go now, with Lady Glinda to fitted for armor and weapons, but please enjoy the feast and follow Lady Glinda when you're both ready. If you should need me, see to Glinda first dears," she laughed, and then we bowed as she exited, having a meeting with the Lion soon.


	10. Chapter 10

"So Argy what do you think of Oz?" I asked him cutting into my spicy seasoned steak, and drinking a glass of red wine.

"it's pretty exciting I gotta say, but that Witch is a bitch! Such a useless woman I honestly can't wait for her to die, HOLY F***!" Argy had colorful language, but whenever it was just us we didn't care about it.

"I know right? Can you see why all of Oz hates and fears her? Next to Glinda and Ozma she's the most powerful Witch in Oz! She eats munchkins Argy! Then sends her Flying Monkeys, or other armies to attack other States," I explained. Argy ate a good old American style hamburger and a small salad with water.

"Wait states? More than one? What's the geography of this place?" he asked. I pulled out a parchment scroll and flattened it out, naming the important parts of Oz to him and showing him how far we've traveled and where we've been so far, who controls each state, and what each state provides for the Country.

"Ahh, I see, cool! So there's no ocean here though huh?" Argy finished the salad.

"Well… there are rumors of the opposite of course, but no one believes them. The people of Oz think if there was an Ocean, either Ozma would be using it for trade, or someone would be visiting by now. Others and this is quite possible assuming an Ocean in this world exists, it is quite possible that someone with a ship and crew who has docked someplace many miles east from here, would have died before even approaching the Oz border of Munchkinland. The Deadly Desert from the Nome King's Dominion encircles all of Oz, anything living that touches it is turned to sand." I finished my meal and sat back in my chair finishing my wine.

"Wow, this is insane, ok noted I know where not go now. So what is our plan Anthony? It was very vague in there with, what was she? Queezma something?" Argy had a hard time keeping it all straight.

"Ha ha! Queen or Ozma, same thing. Our plan is to kill the Wicked Witch of the West. But the only way to do that is by taking away her magic, making her what's called tranquil. She'll be just a regular mortal woman with a strange dress. Then we kick her off the roof of the palace Tower where we are right now. The only magic dark and detailed enough to accomplish this si in the Grimmerie, the Wicked Witch's cursed book. Now, there are three times of magic here in Oz: Light, Dark, and Blood. Light is what the good people use, like Glinda, Ozma, me sometimes, etc. Dark is like Langwidere: she has magic in her blood, and the ability to use it for good, but consciously chooses and takes pleasure only in evil spells. Blood magic is the darkest of them all. This magic is so evil and black, that not only was it banned in Oz centuries ago, but it always comes with a price. Usually blood of the innocent, but sometimes your own. How much depends on the severity of the curse. For example, The Wicked Witch of the West if you notice, always kills someone or something, and then accomplishes something terrible in the Land. Her magic requires a constant payment to keep it strong. She'll never weaken by any means, but to maintain her skills, she must…consume...It's up to good magic folk like us to stop them Argy, too many good people have died needlessly and horribly," We bowed our heads in respect, and then there was knock on the door. Lady Glinda rushed to answer the door, and then she came in to see me.

"Anthony, come with me now," Lady Glinda looked horrified. Argy and I looked at each other with faces of "what the hell just happened?" and followed instantly. She was holding her staff at an angle with both hands close to her chest, looking out the window, it was raining, with deep claps of thunder, and split second flashes of lightning.

"What is it your Goodness?" Argy bowed upon entering the room.

"Argy, I'm sure and I hope Anthony has filled you in on everything, but there was a dear, good friend who had helped him twice before. He has just died. A massive attack from the Wicked Witch at Cloud Swamp which has destroyed its' forests, claimed his poor soul, yesterday. And it is said that she was visited by the Ozmist of her dead sister Nesssarose Evanora Thropp. Apparently, the Witch of the East told the Witch of the West where to find the Ruby Slippers, we have less than no time now to lose Anthony, you and Argy must stop her before it's too late. If she gets those shoes, I don't even want though think of it," Lady Glinda swallowed a few hard tears, and then snapped her fingers. Lights lit up the whole city outside and in, and in the room now illuminated, six potions sat in beautiful crystal bottles with large round bottoms on a wooden table. Each one brightly glowed with a unique power.

"Drink one, and in the morning you will permanently have attained its full power. It will never go away or stop working and you cannot switch once it been drunk, and do not take more than one, the spell will be broken, and none of these will work," Glinda explained.

"What does each one do?" Asked Argy.

"Drink one and tell me in the morning dear," She replied. "All you have to do is close your eyes, hove your right hand over the top of each one and whatever one makes you feel, different, is the one to take," and with that Lady Glinda summoned her bubble with a wave of her sun topped staff, and went back to her castle in Gillikin.

Argy went first. He approached the table, and closing his eyes he hovered his hand, moved slowly to the next.

Then, one bottle jumped right into his hand and he grabbed it. It was the pink colored potion, sparking slightly from its open rim, and he drank the whole thing. He lost his balance, dropped the crystal bottle which refused to shatter, and collapsed deep into sleep on the floor.

"Argy! Argy are you ok?" I ran over to him, and checked his pulse, he was just sleeping. With a sigh of relief, I did the same process, and my had grabbed the purple colored potion which had an odd purple mist coming from the top. I drank it all like rum, and then also collapsed on the floor, asleep, but feeling different. Something was changing within us.


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning I woke up fully energized, and substantially thinner. I was healthy, but my trademark gut was gone thank goodness! I looked in a large full length mirror, and noticed something. There were glowing blue lines under my skin, parallel to my veins. I looked down at my hands and saw more. There was a strange silver ring with an oval sapphire gem not lighting up mysteriously on my hand too. My pupils were lights as well, the same shade of blue.

"What the hell, what has happened to me?" I was freaking out, I thought it looked cool, but it was scary. "GLINDA! HELP US!" I yelled.

Argy was nowhere to be seen. There was nothing else in the room except a little grey squirrel scurrying across the floor.

"It's me Anthony! It's Argy!" shouted the little Squirrel. Then Lady Glinda came in wearing a nice summery yellow gown.

"Whatever is the matter dears?" She asked, laughing now. "The potions worked perfectly I see!" She remarked.

"What happened to us?" I asked her.

"The potions you drank. Anthony you with the growing level of magic in your blood, were naturally drawn to mana; a purple potion I made a long time ago to give those with the 'wits' more magic in their blood, negating their previous dependence on magic items to cast spells. They still help, but now you can use bare hands, or your eyes. Argy you drank the Form's Mask potion, one that allows you to change between animal and human form, but only one animal. It appears he chose that of Squirrels! An adorable choice Argy!" Lady Glinda laughed again. "Adorable, but wise. The Witch's castle is guarded by reptiles, scavengers, and aracnids-" she was interrupted.

"Whoa wait hold up, arachnids? You know I'm terrified of spiders! Oh dear… Lurline," I panicked. Glinda explained that with the return of the Wicked Witch to full form, her armies also returned.

Despite it all I liked the enhanced magic within me. This was pretty cool.

For our efforts coming, I was given a very nice dark green robe with a hood, lined on the sleeves and down the front where both ends met in gold specs, the colors of Oz.

Argy was given for his human form that remained on him in squirrel form, a full set of armor called Nocturnal silence. Whenever he wore it, his breath was muted, as were his footsteps, any natural movement was completely undetectable.

"This is perfect Lady Glinda, thank you. But I've been thinking. I want to bring one more person here with me, her skills in tending wounds could be of extreme advantage, we don't fully appreciate what the consequences are for this yet. Let's bring my friend and sister Julia to Oz," I suggested, and Argy reverted back to human form.

Ozma was pacing the room in front of her throne, she was very stressed.

"Anthony, I don't mind you needing help from someone else, but Oz is not a refuge for lost Earthlings, I don't want to turn my City into a hotel. Let her be the last for now alright?" Ozma asked.

"Yes your Ozness, thank you for your consideration," I bowed my head slightly.

"And as for the Wicked Witch, my Butterfly troops tell me that she is on the hunt for the Ruby Slippers, and that she has new armies. She now no longer uses Flying Monkeys, Bees and Crows. She now uses Vultures, Spiders, and Chistery is the only remaining Flying Monkey. Be warned young heroes, they are ferocious beasts of air and land. DO not go anywhere, alone. Trust no one but yourselves, and under no circumstances should you allow anyone to know of the purpose of your mission. Simply say you have my orders. And above all else, have faith in us and each other, Good will win lads. We must be strong," Ozma encouraged. She nodded to Lady Glinda who left to begin the process to bring Julia, the doctor at MMA, here to Oz. Before she left though, she told Anthony "if you ever see a red flare shoot up fro the Emerlad city, form the shield I taught you. I don't care where you are or what you're doing, conjure it and do not release the spell until whatever it is I am warning you to be shielded from passes. Promise me Anthony,"

"I promise your Goodness," And then she parted.

"Until she gets here, you must make haste, go now to Kiamo Ko, do not take the Yellow Brick Road, and stop to talk to no one. Oz speed," She bade farewell, and we departed the Palace Tower. Before Argy left, she gave Argy a necklace. It was a black leather string with a black powder filling a glass locket like jar, the size of a thumb. She whispered it was used as a quick escape, if there was no other way out. We took the Vinkus gate, which faced the stormy, and threatening Kells mountain range.

"So that's good Julia will be able to heal us if we get injured. Can't magic do that too though?" Argy asked.

"Not always actually, depends on what hurts you." I answered.

"Anthony this is ridiculous, we have to sneak into a Witch's castle high up in the mountains steal her book and then leave undetected? You know she's gonna find out we're here. It was already dark out, but not naturally, it was because of the Vinkus. The lands behind us were bright and lively, trees and moving flowers, bright blue lakes, all of it beautiful. The land in front of us was black, ash covered, and cold. Argy liked his animal fur covered jacket pants and boots, and fox hat.

We had been walking for hours and finally made it to the border between the Emerald City and the Vinkus. Argy stopped walking.

"What is it?" I asked him.

"I've never felt like my life is in danger from a Witch before,"

"Oh, don't worry. It will be hard, and it may be scary, but we are being watched by Glinda, and I'm not leaving you alone, we'll be fine Argy," We looked ahead and saw that the only way to enter the Vinkus, was to hike up the tallest mountain in Oz. Mt. Kumbrica.


	12. Chapter 12

Back in her castle the Wicked Witch was standing with a Vulture sitting on the perch of the large glassless window in her castle, and had Chistery stood beside her. She was watching Argy and Anthony make their way to her castle in her magic crystal ball, screeching with a high pitched hum of its magic as it showed blatantly what Anthony and Argy were doing. Though she could not hear, it didn't matter she could already figure it out.

"Curses! Curses! Somebody always helps them out! But Glinda or no Glinda, I'm still the most feared Witch in Oz! those two fools don't know I keep the book on me at all times do they Chistery? My cherished Monkey," The Vulture screeched.

"No that they don't!" Chistery laughed the creepy Flying Monkey wooping noise.

"YOU STUPID MONKEY! YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LET THEM GET NEAR MY CASTLE! HOW DARE HE TRESSPASS IN MY KINGDOM! BRING THE OTHERS, ROUND THEM UP AT THE DRAWBRIDGE!" The Wicked Witch of the West grabbed her pitchfork broom, and stormed out of the Castle, meeting her armies of Spiders, and Vultures and her cursed Winkie Guards. The Guards yelled ferociously "HO!" With every left foot until they got into position and halted, slamming their gut wrenching intended spears down at attention.

"MY GUARDS! Tonight shall be a glorious victory!" She smiled and cackled. "For tonight, we shall kill those two earthlings!" Track them down! Destroy every village, leave no one alive! YOU WILL SHOW THEM OUR POWER!" The Wicked Witch cackled again and filled her armies with motivation and adrenaline. All of them raced at full speed out of the castle gates, and towards the last known spot of Anthony and Argy.

Ozma and Glinda were nervously waiting in the throne room for news of anything. Then Glinda's head was drawn to the window.

"Ozma, something's happening I can feel it! It's the Wicked Witch of the West! She knows the true location of the Slippers! I need to warn Anthony and Argy! Ozma do something protect the people!" Ozma quickly grabbed her staff, and placed a blessing on the lands: NO matter what may happen next, it will all be undone with the death of the Wicked Witch of the West". To mean, all life that may be gone in a matter of seconds, will return when the Wickedest Witch is dead. Glinda floated in her bubble above the Palace tower and with her staff, shot a vibrant red flare that hovered above the city, Anthony's promised warning sign.

The Wicked Witch went back on her broom stick and flew low, only about a hundred feet above ground, and cast fire on every square inch of the lands, until everything except the Emerald Citty, was ablaze.

Ozma and Glinda ran out to the balcony and saw their homelands with flames almost as high as they were. Glinda cried thinking of Anthony and Argy, and Ozma glared, looking at the Vinkus.

Outside the City, screams of families being burned and killed echoed throughout the land. Animals tried to run away, but they were engulfed at all angles. Forests incinerated, the tall falling trees rolled down hills, causing more fire and more death. Mines exploded in Glikkus, and the freshwater lakes were filled with ash, and totally unusable. The Wicked Witch landed in the heart of the flames still roaring, and walked freely completely unharmed by the fires so hot, that only skeletons remained all over the ground. She walked to the Emerald City graveyard, throwing a fireball exploding the gate open. She searched the tombs of the honored dead, and destroyed all those that weren't Natalee's name.

"Curse you Nessa you told me she would be here! THIS ISN'T THE RIGHT GRAVEYARD, WHERE IS SHE?" She screamed. Ozma could hear it from the distance.

"Oh dear Lurline, Glinda, she's found the graveyard! We must do something!" Ozma yelled.

"You stay here your Ozness, Oz needs a Queen, I will go and fight the Witch,"

"NO Glinda no, the men need you, there's nothing we can do, no one is left alive to try," Ozma wept, drooping her arms on the rail of the balcony watching her home burn, there were no more screams by now. Lady Glinda teared, feeling defeated.

"The dreams of the good hearts live on. We must have faith, we must believe that Anthony and Argy are alive, and that they will kill the Wicked Witch once and for all," Glinda choked with her tears.

The Wicked Witch finally found the right grave. It was a huge tomb, as tall as her and made entirely of stone. She cackled and then closed her eyes. All the fires in the land went out, and revealed nothing but ash and charred plant life, nothing survived. Skeletons overpopulated the black grounds, and the Emerald City was covered in char on its' walls. The Wicked Witch of the West then conjured a massive explosion of a constant stream of lava, in a cylinder that looked like it punched through the heavens.

Lady Glinda collapsed to the floor finding it hard to breath, her promise at the foundation of Oz that made her immortal, was now not fully kept. She wasn't dying, but she was in pain emotionally and physically.

"IN the name of the Unnamed Devil, I claim these Ruby Slippers and all the powers of Hell, for me ELPHABA ALMIRA THROPP, THE WICKED WITCH OF OZ!" And there were three strikes of lightning at that moment. She reached down into the tomb and ripped the feet off the skeleton still juicy. The skeletal feet withered away to dust and the Rubies once again glowed brilliantly. They magically grew larger to fit her foot size. She lifted her long dungeon gown to put her green feet in the Ruby Slippers. The moment she wore both, an oz quake opened a whole from here down to a fiery pit separating the Emerald City from the Vinkus. A few smaller towers fell in the Emerald City, and windows shattered, some emeralds fell off, and the glow stopped from the city. The Wicked Witch of Oz was met by Chistery who tried to congratulate her.

"Chistery! My poor delicious Monkey, I loved you for years, but now you must be sacrificed for the curse of the Slippers to fully be mine. I promised I'd protect you, but I never learn from my mistakes!" The Wicked Witch lunged her nailed hands into his chest, and tore open a gash leaving him to bleed to death. The shoes hummed with a charge of magic, and the Witch grew sharp boney horns out of her shoulders. She had finally exceeded past her most powerful state, she was immortal, and had limitless magic. There was now actually nothing she couldn't do. Her wide brimmed black pointed hat and puffed sleeves on the long dark blood stained dress with the huge flowing cape made her look like a demonic Witch, and now with the Ruby Slippers, she was she thought unbeatable. Just for fun, she brought back the fire engulfing the land.

Lady Glinda stepped out on the Balcony and closed her eyes, holding her arms out from her sides like a priest sometimes does. The golden sun staff lit blindingly bright, and rain began to pour, extinguishing the fire permanently.

"You may have all the powers of Hell Elphaba, but I have all the powers of Heaven, bring it on," Lady Glinda challenged, her words echoing throughout the land, and the Wicked Witch could hear it. She cackled full of herself, and ignored it, flying back to her castle to wait for the bodies of Anthony and Argy.


	13. Chapter 13

Before the Witch got the Slippers, and fire burned the entire country to a black crisp, Anthony and Argy were hiking Mt. Kumbrica. It was a steep hike, and covered in snow because of the altitude. It was currently snowing, but it must recently have, because there were holes in the snow that allowed you to see the real side of the mountain, and the snow was at least 6 feet deep.

Argy was better at hiking than Argy and so occasionally he would get kind of far ahead, but he always checked behind him and then waited for me to catch up.

Higher and higher we climbed in the increasingly heavy winds, until at last we had to make a choice. Because of my flat boots, I simply didn't have enough traction to get up another step, no matter what I tried.

"It's ok Argy, you go ahead, I'll go around the mountain," I said.

"No Anthony, remember what Ozma said, never go anywhere alone, you're coming with me," Argy insisted and warned. But I didn't listen.

"Argy, trust me I'll be fine, I'll rest here for a little bit and then I'll continue and we'll meet tomorrow on the other side. I can shoot a flair if something goes wrong, here take this," I gave him magic dust to be able to do the same if something happened to him.

"Ugh, alright, just don't do anything stupid or get yourself hurt I'll see you on the other side good luck!" Argy wished.

"You too, don't worry everything will be fine," I ensured. But honestly I knew how close we were to the Wicked Witch's castle.

Less than two hours later, Argy made it up past the tree line on the mountains so the wind and snow debris from the wind almost made it impossible for him to see anything. Then, he heard something besides wind. It sounded like horses. He quickly in a puff of smoke changed form back to a Squirrel and hid in the snow. The snow at the other end of his view was being torn to shreds. Not by horses, but by spiders. Spiders the size of a house. Their black sleek bodies looked wet with venom ,a nd their fanged mouths dripped with it. The leader had a green hourglass shape on her back, the color and mark of the Wicked Witch thought Argy correctly. Now shivering with stress and cold and fear of the unknown, but he swallowed his fear and marched right out into view. He saw that they all stopped moving, and were talking to each other in a language he didn't understand.

"YOU there! Puny fury squirrel! What is your purpose in the Witch's land?" Asked the Leader.

"I don't answer to you, I answer to Ozma and Glinda the Good," Argy fierceflly said.

"Do you not know who we work for? Squirrel, tell us why you're here, and we wont rip you apart after filling your tiny body with poison," threatened the spider.

"You do and Glinda will send her army to kill you and your jack ass bitch of the west!" Yelled Argy.

"You didn't come alone did you?" Asked the spider. "No, no you brought a friend, could it possibly be, Anthony from Massachusetts? Well dear fuzzy one, I have news for you. The Vultures passed by him not too long ago, the cold killed him before we could, he died of hypothermia, a slow confusing death," reported the Spider.

"NO you lie!" yelled Argy.

"Do I?" Asked the spider. And then held out the robe Anthony wore. Argy pretended to cry, and then when the spiders tried to sting him, he vanished in a cloud of pink smoke, a trademark of

-"GLINDA! GO ON LADS FIND ANTHONY AGAIN KILL HIM NOW!" Yelled Argy and the spiders eerily screeched as their eight legs raced across the snow to find Anthony again, which is where Argy appeared, or so he hoped. He was closer, but didn't know it and tripped going downhill.

He feared falling down this taller than the clouds mountain. He was trying to go back and find his friend who he heard was dead, and now may die himself. A the last moment, he rolled over a tree log, and the hood of his jacket caught on a limb, and stopped his fall.

He reverted back to human form and was tall enough to keep going down. Finally he found Anthony. Lying in the snow down on the ground without the robe, Anthony was either dead or asleep.

He brushed the snow off and rolled him over on his back. He felt a pulse and tried to wake him up.

"Argy! Is that you?" Asked Anthony, his veins and eyes glowing again.

"Alright thank goodness you're ok, we have to move quickly now, the Witch sent her spiders here to kill us! They found me and told me you were dead, but now they want to kill us both, come on!" My staff top lit red this time and outlined on the ground before us, the way to get to Kiamo Ko.

"Follow that path Argy!" I said. We made it down the hill and back on the other side back to where it was warm again, but the spiders were there to greet us.

"Well well well! Look who we have here! KILL EM BOTH LEAVE NO DROP UNSPOILED!" The hundreds of spiders jumped over each other to attack us. Argy reverted to squirrel to be harder to hit in a smaller form, and bit the roots of trees to fall on spiders.

Anthony shot bolts of lightning out to kill groups of spiders, and then he heard an echo of an explosion. He looked up at the sky behind him, towards the Emerald City, and saw the red flare Glinda told him about.

"ARGy! GET OVER HERE NOW!" And he did, and then with one hand formed the shield around us both, and with the other, formed a lightning bolt wall that turned the spiders going through it instantly to ash.

A few seconds later, an enormous fire with flames as tall as trees engulfed everything around us. We could feel the heat through the shield but it held.

"HOLY SHIT!" Argy screamed. "How did you know to make the shield?"

"The red flare Glinda told me to form it no matter what I was doing, Argy, this means there are only five people alive in Oz, everyone else, is dead," We were deeply saddened and stood still and silent until the Witch's fire went out, if it went out.

"We have to kill this Witch Anthony, I don't care what it takes, can we walk with the shield up?" Asked Argy.

"Yes, you thinking what I'm thinking?" Asked Anthony.

"Let's run!" And we ran the whole way to Kiamo Ko unharmed by the fire in the slightest. When we arrived in the Witch's castle, we split up as the fire went out, but I formed a shiled around us both so we could look through the castle to find the book. It was no where.

"Anthoyn I'm not seeing it, do you?" Argy shouted.

"NO I can't find it either!" I answered back.

"Looking for this?" Standing at the door was none other than Langwidere, holding the Grimmerie.


	14. Chapter 14

So The Wicked Witch of the West had finally taken control and claimed the Ruby Slippers for her own. Anthony, Argy and Princess Langwidere were no doubt engaging in a fight, and Lady Glinda was with Ozma pacing the halls, stressed out of their minds about everything.

"How could I have let this happen Ozma? I swore an oath to protect Oz and I just sat her and let the Witch take the Slipppers! Ozma what's wrong with me?" Glinda was horrified and very disappointed with herself.

"Glinda, my friend, there was nothing you could have done, we tried to prevent her with a barrier spell around the City, but it didn't work. All we can do now, is pray for Anthony and Argy's safe and successful return, and destroy the Witch at the right time, we can and will do this, it is not too late," Ozma said. Her positive words and motivating speech uplifted Glinda who took a deep breath, and with a wave of her hand, magically changed her outfit. She now was wearing a long light blue jacket, with boots and white leather pants.

"I'm going to bring Julia back, and then we're going to kill Langwidere. If Anthony and Argy return before I do, have them wait in here for us. If the Wicked Witch storms the city, use my Oblivion Juice," Glinda instructed. Do whatever it takes to stop her even if it's only temporary, I shall return soon enough," And with that, Lady Glinda grabbed her golden staff, and left the Tower, heading for the fields that lead to the Haunted Forest just north of the Emerald City. There she would use magic to speed the arrival of Julia, and together they would storm the Wicked Witch's castle, and kill Princess Langwidere.

Back in Kiamo Ko, Anthony was with Argy, in a horrible situation. Princess Langwidere had just shown her self, holding the Grimmerie, the Book of spells that they needed to kill the Wicked Witch of the West.

"Tell me sweeties, whatever do you need this ugly old book for?" Asked Langwidere, who had now tied me and Argy to separate chairs.

"Oh silly me, I cast a spell on your mouths to be silent. Looks like I'll just have to kill you both instead!" Langwidere Used her lightning bolt shaped wand to shoot a dangerously high charge of electricity at me, but I flung my weight over to none side, and rolled over too quickly, just in time. I summoned my staff with my open and empty hand beckoning for it's partner to join again. When at last I was armed again, I used a different spell this time, it was like gravity, but instead of pulling, it pushed. I used this spell to shoot a force of what looked like nothing, but caused chunks of stone from the castle to be launched in her direction. Argy was mute still tied to his chair, and then he turned into a squirrel again, now able to crawl away free.

Back in the fields in front of the Haunted Forest, Lady Glinda the Good was standing still holding her staff aimed high up at the heavens, until a stream of sunlight beamed through and then Julia fell through the sky and landed thankfully in Glinda's arms. She sat her down gently, and used her magic to calm her down from the tremendous stresses the body goes through while jumping through worlds. Julia was a teenaged girl with short blond hair blue eyes and fair skin. She was one of Anthony's friends from Earth, and a healer at his old school. Her skills would hopefully not be needed, but most assuredly greatly appreciated if need be. Julia was breathing heavily, hyperventilating and crying and screaming all at once, gradually slowing down, and slowly returning to normalcy.

"It's alright Julia, you're safe now, you can breathe. I am Glinda the Sorceress of the North and I have brought you at Anthony's request to help him in his, in Oz's time of need. You all are destined for greatness in this land, but there won't be anything to Lead if you don't come with me now. The Wicked Witch of the West has the Slippers and Langwidere is fighting Anthony and Argy, we must make haste stand close to me child!" Lady Glinda conjured a nice big orange and cupcake to give her energy and stamina for the journey she just made, and the duel she hoped Julia could help with. She summoned her big pink bubble, and floated swiftly to Kiamo Ko.

When the bubble popped, Lady Glinda was stunned at the sight. Argy was on Anthony's shoulder, while he had just pinned Langwidere down to the ground, knees on her neck and stomach, with the wand in two pieces on the floor in another room.

"SAY IT! SAY YOU REGRET IT LANGWIDERE! SAY IT! APOLOGIZE OR I SWEAR I'LL TAKE YOUR OWN DAMN HEAD!" Anthony was seething with rage, as this was the Witch who killed his late girlfriend, being in Oz again, brought back his memories in full. Choking and gasoing for air to speak, Langwidere raspily relpied, "I killed Natalee. But I do regret one thing, I regret NOT KILLING YOU!" Langwidere found extra strength in her magic and lunged back up onto her feet, throwing Anthony on his back a few helpless feet away. As Langwidere charged a bare volt of purple lightning from her own hands, Lady Glinda waved her staff and the chains holding a massive crystal and wrought iron candle chandelier, disappeared. The flaming chandelier fell square on top of Langwidere, killing her instantly. There were sparks of magic every now and then like a blown outlet in a house on Earth. Dust from the cracked stone of the ceiling occasionally fell, and there was a purple haze that withered away Langwidere's body, but the head remained on the floor in it's last position. Glinda nodded her head, and said a short blessing for Langwidere to not have to be punished in Hell, but to just be at peace finally. Julia now covered head to toe in ash, dust, char and sweat, was speechless. That was a lot to take in in an hour.

"Anthony, come on get up we have to get back to the City now, The Witch of the West will surely be here soon we can't stay here," Lady Glinda ordered breathing heavily. Argy crawled over to him, he jumped free when Anthony was launched across the room.

"Anthony? Anthony!" Argy exclaimed. Glinda knelt down beside his still body, and felt for a pulse.

"It's slow, but it's there. That was a lot of electricity to be shot at one human, Julia, take this and say in your head, 'throne room' and then throw it on the ground, it's puff puff juice you'll be sent there with Anthony and you can get settled in the Apothecary to heal him."

"Alright, how will I know its going to take me there?" Asked doubtful Julia.

"You must have faith, and trust me dear, please do as I say, we don't have much time," Lady Glinda said brushing the debris off her. Her eyes were watery a little now though, worried for Anthony.

"Alright, I 'll try, here goes nothing!" Julia closed her eyes and tightened her face, hoping with ever fiber that the spell worked, and she disappeared in a yellow cloud, with Anthony. Lady Glinda stood up and looked around the room.

"Where is it Argy, where is the Grimmerie? And Anthony's staff?" Lady Glinda asked. Argy was confused, the book was in Langwidere's hands, and now it was gone again.


	15. Chapter 15

Argy and Lady Glinda scoured the room but they couldn't find anything.

"Glinda we should go, if the Wicked Witch finds us here," Argy started to say.

"wait, it's here I can feel it!" Lady Glinda busted parts off the chandelier in order to move around it better. It had been pierced by the ornamental figure bottom of the chandelier, and stabbed by it, but it was there just the same. She slid it off the spike, and put it in her coat pocket. Argy had also found Anthony's Altar Staff more good news.

"Perfect good job Argy! Now we can return to the city, and practice the Grimmerie's power!" She summoned her bubble and returned to the Emerald City. When she got there, at first she was happy, giving Ozma Anthony's staff for safe keeping until he awoke, and then putting the damaged Grimmerie in her room of magic, until they were ready. But after more analysis of the Book's magic and damage, Lady Glinda had bad news. As did Julia for Anthony's health.

Ozma called for a meeting in her throne room at the gold table.

"I hear we have nothing but bad news, as if anything could be worse than the Wicked Witch having the Ruby Slippers," said Ozma disappointedly.

"Yes your Ozness, sadly the Grimmerie is not usable at this time I need magic to restore it, but a different kind of magic. I need lunar parchment, moonwater, crystal dust and an emerald. With those four things I can make a potion to restore the book and it's power. They can all be found in the Glikkus, in the Emerald mines up there, but I hear the Witch is destroying the mines to dig only rubies for more power. It is dangerous, and a long journey." Lady Glinda said.

"I'm afraid I have need of more magic as well. In order to fully regenerate Anthony, I need one of the enchanted Emeralds Glind agave to him the last time he was here when he had to fight the Nomes." Julia reported.

"There is only one place I know of that still has one, the Cloister of the Maunts near Kellswater," Lady Glinda answered, conjuring up a map on the table highlighting the locations they needed: Glikkus, and the Cloister near Lake Kellswater.

"Well then it appears we have two tasks, and two helpers. Argy, I want you to take one of my most noble horses, and ride north to the Glikkus to fin the moonwater, lunar parchment, crystal dust, and an emerald. Julia, I want you to also take a Horse, and ride to the Cloister. The two of you will be taking your own Visionary to maintain communication amongst your selves, and to Glinda. She will also arm you both with ample weapons and magic for protection to ensure your success. I will stay here with lady Glinda overseeing the progress of Anthony, and to protect the only remaining city Oz has left under my reign," Ozma bowed her head, and left the room to brush up on her skills with a sword.


	16. Chapter 16

So Argy and Julia were armed again for their new missions. Argy and Julia were both given cloaks that if under dire circumstances, would make them invisible to those with no heart or a black soul. This only meant what they thought would be one person: Elphaba Almira Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West.

Back in Kiamo Ko, the chandelier that killed Langwidere, disappeared in a glittering red cloud of sand, power from the Ruby Slippers. Elphaba broke the door down and she was out of breath.

"Lang! Lang get in here this instant!" Elphaba's shoulders now had instead of the pointed shoulder boards, something that looked like leather spikes sprawled out from them. Her top half of the dress she was wearing was a tight leather and obsidian studded, corseted top, and the gown was the same thick, black gown that was stained with blood from all her victims thus far. She was holding her broom, and it burst into flame. Neither the broom nor the Witch were harmed from it. Then from around the corner, there was a smokey purple cloud, and out of it appeared none other than, Langwidere. She was now wearing a dark purple and black striped, sleeveless, and neck-less dress that had feathers around the shoulders. She cracked her neck and grunted, smiling slightly. No, Langwidere did not die in the duel between Lady Glinda, Anthony, and Argy. She merely vanished with her own magic, and counted on the Witch getting the Ruby Slippers to come back after convincing the ones from the Emerald City Langwidere had died. The two powerful Witches sat down at the table, as the sun had completely set and the moon had risen.

"Very good job my little pretty!" The Wicked Witch congratulated, rubbing her hands together, glowing like fireflies on a hill.

"Do they truly think I'm dead and gone?" asked Lang, her eyes flashed pruple as the magic within her recharged.

"On the contrary dear, they believe they killed you and sent your soul back to hell!" The Wickedest Witch replied.

"Excellent my friend. I hear they've developed a plan to fix the Grimmerie and use it take away your magic and kill you as a human, celebrating my death" Langwidere hissed.

"Now they believe it completely, now we can have some fun," grinned the green Witch. She held in her hand a black leather pouch, and Roenja the leader of the Spiders, crawled through the glass-less window. Langwidere looked through the crystal ball, and smiled imagining their oldest enemy finally dying.


	17. Chapter 17

Princess Langwidere and The Wicked Witch of the West ate things best left unspoken of, and when they finished, they continued their earlier discussion. What was known for the Witches was that the good people of Oz, the final five that were left, had a plan to take out the Wicked Witch, and were already working on it. The Witches now needed a counter-plan.

"NO! No we need to do better than that!"

"Well, what would you do?" Langwidere asked drying blood from whatever it was she just ate from her mouth. The Wicked Witch stood up and her long leather cape stayed in her last spot as she paced the floors quickly, thinking of what to do.

"I've got it! In order to kill Glinda, we need to get her and Ozma, and the others out of the Emerald City, and in the open when their on the move. With the little squirrel in the Glikkus, and the miserably blubbery little islander girl going to the wretched Cloister, we need to split our forces too. Take this potion to disguise your self as me. Take my army of Vultures to help speed along the travel. Once those two are on the move, use the Vultures to capture them and bring me them both back here! Do what you want with their equipment but I want them alive and unharmed. They'll put up a fight I promise you that, but use a little deception to take the fight out of them! HA HA! Remember, you are me! Kidnap them and use the Vultures to bring them here! Once they're here I will have my fun with them and lures Glinda out of the Emerald City. Drop your disguise and kill the two earthlings, Glinda and Anthony are mine!"

"How will you kill them?" Asked Langwidere.

"with this. A Soul eater. It's only black sand to the regular human, but we know better. If handled by a Witch like myself, and sprinkled over the bodies of the living, their souls are withered away and eaten by the demons the sand has trapped. Think of it as cursed Powder of Life, it's Powder of Death" smiled the Witch again. The Ruby Slippers glowed a little brighter as the Witch thought she was winning.

"They'll never even know what hit them! But my dear old friend, would it not be wiser to take the utmost discreetness in this next phase? We can't let Glinda suspect anything, and they both mus still be convinceed with my death."

"What are you suggesting? That my plan has faults? You WANNA JOIN THEM IN DEATH!" The Witch summoned a fireball, but Langwidere raised a black velvet gloved hand bearing a diamond ring and put the fire out.

"Enough! I've endured your tantrums long enough! Hear me out on this Elphaba! Now, leave both your armies here, we may need them to protect ourselves later. What we need to do is this. I will disguise myself as no one. I will simply take two doses of the potion, and remain invisible for however long I wish. In that time, I will individually transport the Squirrel and the Nurse to your castle here. You will have your fun with them, and then at night, you can use the Slippers to curse Anthony. When the three Earthlings seize to wake up, Glinda will flee the Emerald City in search of Argy and Julia, leaving only poor little Ozma to guard the Palace. It is then, when Glinda has lost everything, and is away from Ozma, that you use the Powder of Death on her, then you will have finally won this battle my dear. And then I'll take their pretty little heads!" Langwidere smiled inappropriately. Elphaba sat down and thought about it.

"That's perfect! You start the plan I will get the Castle ready for our lovely little guests. Just make sure you don't fail me Princess! We cannot afford to lose again! I will destroy them all if it is the last thing I do! Those final five little worms, WILL BE BEGGING FOR DEATH BEFORE I'M FINISHED WITH THEM! AND THEN, THEN MY LITTLE PRETTY, I WILL RULE OZ!" The two Witches cackled hysterically as the only Vulture in the room screeched and jumped around the room sharing the excitement.

Elphaba had gotten skinnier, her bloodlust hadn't been satisfied in a long time, and it was beginning to show. She walked over to the bookcase and grabbed the ingredients for an invisibility potion. When she dropped them into the cauldron, the liquid turned completely black and yet not dense or thick at all. She levitated the black iron pot and poured it perfectly into a phial while at the same time, poured a little bit of randomly conjured Ruby Powder from the Slipper's power to enhance the potion's magic. The dark magic also required blood though. As Elphaba was immortal and her blood had dried up centuries ago, she turned to Langwidere for the final ingredient. Langwidere sliced her palm open taking her glove off, and six fat drops of blood fell into the phial. A smoky white skull formed over the phial and the Wicked Witch smiled showing her pearly white fangs.

"It's done! And it's going to be horrible," The phial was sealed and floated over to Langwidere's hands. Slazinace, the Vulture in the room, fluttered over to Elphaba and followed her out. Langwidere put on her traveling hooded dark purple cape and left the Castle.

In the Throne Room, Lady Glinda and Ozma were saying goodbye to Argy and Julia. They weren't sure how long this would take, or when they would see each other again.

"Take special care Argy, Anthony can do no better without you. He needs your help, from both of you. In his wounded state, he needs magic to heal him. Magic and love," Lady Glinda the Good smiled tilting her golden, crowned head. With her in the room, everything seemed brighter. The two people left from Earth looked over at Anthony, and frowned. Julia couldn't help herself from hugging Argy, she needed her friend to be alive and making a joke again. Argy looked down and frowned, he didn't have much confidence in their mission, let alone himself. Lady Glinda knelt down and lifted his chin.

"I want Anthony to be ok, I miss him already," Julia cried a little.

"I know right I do too, this sucks. It's that Witch, the jack ass in the West, we have to stop her forever Glinda, not just for today, for all of your Country! No one deserves to live like this. If you have the power and chance to make life problem free, you should do it! And that's what I came here to do. But I need to make sure Ashley is alright, let me see her please," Argy asked full heartedly.

"Certainly! This way," She led him to her room of crystal bubbles. She sat him down next to oe, and it became covered in a mist.

"Focus Argy, look through the fog and find your true love,"

Argy tried actually using his hands, and then he saw Ashley. She was standing alone in the room where they were separated and then the mist covered his view for a second. The second time he saw her she was still at the school, with police officers, and construction workers. It looked like she was trying to repair the school from the Witch's damage. He was brought to tears seeing her again.

"She's alive, she's alive and she's trying to make things right. Thank you, I really needed to see it for myself,"

"Of course my dear friend, anytime," And they walked back to the room with Julia to start their quests.

"I'm scared Lady Glinda! How am I supposed to stop the Witch? If she wants to kill me it's probably gonna happen!" Julia was truly terrified. The Witch had many powers, and she had only one.

"Fear not my child, everything that happens, is as it should. You both will be unharmed, and you shall return with good news to tell, I can feel it. Your friend needs you to be strong for him now, more than ever. Love is strength, not weakness, remember that. The Witch of the West has many things, but a heart is not among them. Defend each other, and remain loyal to your cause, and everything will go as planned. If you ever need my help along the way, simple shout out for me and I will come," Lady Glinda hugged them both, and tried her best to encourage them to do good, and bring good news with their return.

Argy and Julia with their cloaks tied tightly on their backs and weapons (Argy a longsword, and Julia death dust- a dark fairy's magic that turns any opponent to a feather) tight around their waists, left the Emerald City, and headed for their respective destinations: Argy turned North East for Glikkus, and Julia left south west for the Cloister.


	18. Chapter 18

So Langwidere left Kiamo Ko drinking the whole bottle dry of the powerful invisibility potion, and smashed it on the stone floor as she disappeared. The Wicked Witch turned her head slightly, ensuring the castle door was shut, and the way was blocked from her view. Her hands grabbed each other and she grinned. The Witch was up to something she didn't speak of.

Argy had his hood down for the moment, and looked behind him, noticing that Julia was looking back at him too. They were both scared. This was his first time in Oz, as it was for her too. When they split ways to go to their respective destinations, their lives were from that moment at risk. Lady Glinda was watching over them high above in the Emerald City of course but her response time would only be after the fact since it relied upon a call to aid by one of them. For the most part, they were literally on their own without magic, in the open, with the Wicked Witch wearing the Ruby Slippers on the loose.

The Wicked Witch was watching very closely in her crystal ball as Argy and Julia made their separate ways. She wanted to make absolutely certain that Langwidere while invisible kidnapped them and sent them to her castle.

"How, wonderful," The Witch hissed.

Argy had just entered the Haunted Forest, this was Langwidere's chance It was one spot Lady Glinda couldn't watch over, as it was created by the Wicked Witch not by Oz itself. It was instantly dark as he walked and Argy was taunted with sounds all around him that he was being followed. It was absolutely quiet, not a breath of wind, and yet leaves rustled in bushes behind him. Twigs snapped in front of him, Murders of Crows flocked from the dead trees. The noises became louder as if by something larger. Thumping footsteps raced towards him, and some trees collapsed, crashing like a great domino. Then, something pushed him. Again, and this time he fell down, and his glasses flew off. He couldn't see them, but they were crunched slowly like someone stepping on them.

"Show yourself you coward! FIGHT ME!" Argy threatened. He drew his two handed sword and was ready to fight, whom or what he did not know. Langwidere waved a gloved hand and revealed herself.

"Yes, it's me, she laughed condescendingly. "Do you really think that sword would harm me? You did not kill me, you just royally pissed me off and now, you're going to see the Witch," Langwidere punched her hand into his chest, and released a handful of black puf puf sand. It was like puf puf juice, only in grain form and easier to carry. He yelled with the pain as her hand was in his heart's way, and when she pulled her blood covered hand out, he was gone.

"One down, one to go," Langwidere smiled and made herself invisible again, making way to Julia now.

In a cloud of sparkling black dust, Argy appeared again bleeding a little from his chest, this time the wound was closed though he would be ok for now. The moment he appeared, the Wicked Witch of the West was waiting for him, and with both hands, conjured rope snakes, that is, ropes that injected venom whenever they touched skin to tie his feet, hands and torso to a wooden stake in her dungeon.

"WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU? YOU'RE SUCH AN ANGRY LITTLE CHILD! YOU THINK YOU'RE GETTING REVENGE ALL YOU'LL GET IS MY SWORD CUTTING OFF YOUR MOLDED HEAD!" When Argy yelled that at her, the Wicked Witch stopped moving. In a flash of only milliseconds, she appeared so close to him, her breath gave his face goose bumps. He could see her yellow eyes, and thought it was as if her soul was ablaze. Argy still wore the cloak Glinda gave him, and hoped with all his heart that it would somehow save him in the end.

"SILENCE YOU FOOL!" The Wicked Witch screamed with the crazed accent. The Slippers flashed and then Argy's mouth was magically sewn shut. He could only moan as his closed mouth did not allow for speaking or screaming now. She dabbed the blood from his mouth with her razor sharp finger nail, cutting his face. "That's better. What should I do next? Whatever it is I do, I'll make sure to do it so slowly because, you are going to pay, YOU WILL ALL PAY! YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE! I WILL EAT YOUR HAPPY MEMORIES FROM YOUR SORRY SOULS! YOU AND THAT LYING USELESS DOORMAT, WILL BURN! AND YOU'RE LITTLE GIRL TOO! AND YOU WILL BE RIGHT HERE WHERE YOU BELONG!" The Wicked Witch of the West cackled so loud Argy's ears bled. The Witch wasn't done. She charged in her right had a fireball the spell musically humming with the power, and fired it at him. Direct hit. Argy was burned to a crisp inside first, then out. The Witch's slippers flashed again, giving her more power as she licked the blood off her hands, and she sighed with relief. She had just killed Argy with magic. She flung her long cloak around and in a swish of thick black blood stained fabric and a burst of flames she returned to the main floor and waited anxiously for Julia.

Ashley woke up from a terrible nightmare. She had dreamed all of that. That is, she dreamed only that Argy died in the Witch's dungeon by her hand. Ashley quickly in the dead of night ran to Madam Strega's old office to find the crystal ball, needing contact with Lady Glinda instantly.

"Show me Glinda the Good," she spoke quietly. The Crystal ball softly hummed and the mist glowed brightly white, and then showed Glinda in her wing of the Emerald Palace.

"Ashley, I'm afraid you've caught me in rather dark times,"

"What has happened? Is Argy alright? I had a dream he died!"

"I'm afraid he's been captured by the Wicked Witch of the West. Do not worry my dear, I will put a stop to this Witch, mark my words on that,"

"tell him I love him, tell him, he needs to come home to me," Ashley cried, fearing he may already be dead.

"I will, I swear to you he will not fall while I am here I will speak to you soon I have much to attend to," Lady Glinda ended the connection, and rushed to Anthony. She placed both hands on his chest, and closed here eyes. She started singing softly a spell she had only just started practicing, and Anthony gasped and breathed in loudly with life once more. His wound healed in seconds, and his eyes flashed very bright blue, as he regained his magic with Glinda's aid.

"Thank you!" he said holding her sparkling hands. Then she waved a hand and his hunger and thirst went away.

"You must need me right this moment Lady Glinda!" He laughed and hoped off the hospital bed. It was a gambled spell, one that was risky and dangerous, and thankfully worked on the first try. He was right Glinda did need him right away.

"Anthony take your staff, and your robe, and go to the Cloister of the Maunts in the South West near the Vinkus border, Julia is going there and I fear she may be about to be kidnapped like Argy,"

"Kidnapped like Argy? By who?"

"The Wicked Witch of the West of course, she has the Ruby Slippers now,"

"WHAT?!"

"Anthony I have no time to explain, come on now, move! Be gone like the wind your friend needs you!"

"But wait wait! What will you do?"

"I need to grab some things from the old Mines to fix the Grimmerie, you must go now Anthony we have no time to loose! I will meet you there you have my word," her pearl flashed as her promise was sealed by her own lye detecting necklace, and Anthony nodded. He reached out his hand and his staff flew into his hands, and the sapphire lit up instantly. Then he put on his white robe that turned blue at the bottom, and slammed his staff on the ground, using the one time enchantment Glinda gave him: teleportation.


	19. Chapter 19

Julia thankfully didn't have far to go, and could see the Cloister on the hill, and then was stopped. There was a white flash of harmless lightning, and Anthony appeared.

"Anthony! Oh my gosh I'm so excited to see you! You big brat how could you leave me like that and make us all worry to death about you! Don't do that!" I laughed but Julia was serious, and hugged me very tightly.

"I'm sorry, I was wounded, but I come back to you now, to alert you that the Wicked Witch has captured Argy somehow, and I'm here to prevent that from happening to you. Put your hood on, the spell Glinda used on it won't work unless you wear the hood. Julia out on the hood and to me nothing changed, but to everyone else, she was now also invisible. I tapped the top of my staff, and my eyes started glowing white.

"Uhh Anthony what's that?"

"It's a charm, it will allow me to see the unseen. If The Witch kidnapped Argy, how come there was no fight? I think she was invisible,"

"Ahh, ok cool. All I have for a weapon is this dark dust, Lady Glinda told me it could turn any opponent into a feather,"

"Alright good, keep it, you may need it soon, take good aim if the time comes it will only work once," It had been long enough to make Anthony confident if The Witch was coming she wasn't here yet. "Alright she's not here, let's move on and get that enchanted Emerald for Glinda, the mines in the North only do rubies now," Julia nodded and went inside with him. What they saw disgusted them. The Witch's Spiders were spinning dead bodies of the poor innocent Maunts, and the Vultures were eating discarded corpses strewn about the blood soaked floors. Slazinace the leader of the Vultures was as tall as me, completely black, and very boney. The flesh covering his feet and head was red as blood, and his eyes were black as pitch. Roenja I assumed was the big shiny looking enlarged black widow spider in the back. Apparantly I was not even worth the time it would take to insult.

"I'm sorry where are my manners, would you like some boy?"

"Cut the shit!" I aimed my lit staff. "Where is it?"

"Where is what fatty?" Asked the Vulture shifting his wings.

"You know what, the Enchanted Emerald!"

"oh, you mean the one that saved your butt from the Nomes last time you were here? Or perhaps the one that could have saved Gervirah?! Yes stupid earth boy, I', Gervirah's brother! And trust me! If you hadn't ignored him that day at Glinda's castle to be with your blithering little girlfriend he may still be alive!"

"No, It was the Wicked Witch! She cut his head off right in front of me! She didn't tell you that did she? Well, now you know I wonder what else she has not told you. Not my problem! Hand it over!"

"I never once heard a please in there, for being on the so called good side, you're not really living up to your reputation now are you?"

"Because I do not associate myself with Witches. I eliminate them! And their henchmen? Oh please! You're just as guilty for helping her. In the name of Glinda the Good, please give me the Emerald, and I will not kill you," Just as the Vulture launched himself into the air and planned to eat my eyes, Lady Glinda returned, her bubble shielding me from him. When it popped, she pinned Slazinace to the ground with her staff choking him, and with her other hand, sent all the Spiders to the Nome King's Dominion where they would die of starvation and toxic fumes. It was just them. Anthony grabbed Julia and stood in front of her for protection from anything.

"You're going to give me the emerald Slazinace, and then you're going to tell me where Argy is and if he's alive,"

"I don't know, I was gone before he came," he lied, Glinda's pearl turned black.

"Try again," She leaned harder on her staff, making him cough louder.

"Alright! She threw him in the dungeon, she is waiting for Julia to be sent there, she's torturing him but he's alive, barely" the pearl went back to white. Anthony dropped his head in remorse.

"Waiting for Julia to be sent there? BY what! Or Who?! SPEAK!" The Vulture laughed and it remained white.

"You didn't kill Langwidere, you'll have to try better than that my friend,"

"Where is she now?" Glinda, Throne Minister Emerita replied.

"Coming, she's darker Glinda, you haven't seen this one," Glinda's face turned to worried and yet also thankful to him, and she released him.

"You're not going to kill me?"

"Not so fast young one!" Lady Glinda put a barrier spell on him to remain in this building until his loyalties changed. "I will let you live because I thank you for being honest, but I'm keeping you here to not continue helping the Devil's Wife. She's here, She's here everyone run take cover!"

"guys? Somethings got my foot," Julia said. It was a dark purple snake slithering around her ankle. "Help! HELP ME PLEASE!"

Glinda put Anthoyn in the same barrier spell, so that Langwidere couldn't take him too.

"Stop this Lang! It's over, I've already won, the savior is healed, and I have the Grimmerie, there is nothing you can do now. Do not harm another innocent soul to appease your own trials and toils from your past, there is always hope for redemption Langwidere, this is not the way," Glinda said heroically. The Snake looked at her and hissed.

"You foolish girl! Good is weak, true power endures, forever. Magic is power. I'm going to bring this poor soul to the Witch and then I'm going to take your Crown,"

"You make one move other than what I suggested, and I'll kill you, it's your choice. But I cannot allow you to succeed,"

"You're right Glinda, I just want to be liked,"

"Excellent, now release her and…" Her pearl turned black. "No WAIT YOU LIE!" Glinda shot at the snake, but it was too late. The Snake had disappeared with Julia. All that was left was her echoing scream in the arched halls.


	20. Chapter 20

All that was left was Julia's terrified echoing scream rolling through the arched stone ceilings. The bodies of the Sisters in the Maunt littered the floors and the smell was dreadful. Lady Glinda collapsed to her feet frustrated with herself for not seeing Langwidere being deceitful. Anthony was with Glinda in the Cloister, and finally spoke.

"Glinda, we need to move. We cannot sit here; I need to rescue my friends before it's too late. Once I get Argy and Julia out of Kiamo Ko, we can return to the Emerald Palace, restore the Grimmerie and storm Kiamo Ko and destroy the Wicked Witch once and for all,"

"No that last part won't do Anthony. With what army shall we as you said storm Kiamo Ko? No. We need to lure her here, and get her to come no doubt with her armies of Spiders and Vultures. We lure her all the way to the roof and that's where the real fight begins.

"How are we going to lure the Wicked Witch? She only travels herself to track down things she wants and… Wait," I started to cry, hating what I thought was her idea.

"Anthony, it is the only way. I know there is only one thing she wants above all else, more than she wanted the Ruby Slippers, more than your death. It must be done, only then will she be completely blind to our plan, only then will she think she has already won, and nothing more to ever fear," Anthony had dashed to her jeweled side and hugged her. Lady Glinda had a plan. She was right there was only one thing the Wicked Witch wanted more than anything else in Oz: The death of Glinda Arduenna Upland.

"You must have faith Anthony, this is the only way to give you your best chance, you must believe that you can save Oz again with your friends. I will always be watching over you Anthony, as I always have I shall always continue," Glinda cried now as well, she was for the first time in her life, afraid. She never thought things would come to this and was proud to completely fulfill her sacred promise to the Land, but she feared the pain that would no doubt accompany it. She kissed Anthony's forehead to give him her blessing, as this was the first mission they were to split ways, and think they would never see each other again. She waved her golden sun and with watery eyes, returned in a modest bubble back to the Emerald City.

"Hang in there Argy and Julia, the hero is coming!" Anthony filled with confidence ran to the door and headed back to Kiamo Ko. But he had a plan. He was to lure the Witches into Cloud Swamp, and let his equally enraged with the Witches deceased girlfriend, have some fun with them.

Out of breath but still running the sapphire in his white wooden staff lit up and he was regenerated with stamina to run faster longer until finally he arrived at the Swamp.

"Natalee! Natalee are you here? I need your help again," I called out, my voice became increasingly echoey the more I spoke. Finally there was a light purple cloud, and then the silvery white Ozmist wearing a long dress appeared. She floated over to him and hovered before him.

"Anthony tis good to see you again! I am very happy you are still alive recent events in oz have crowded the spiritual domain of my swamp let me tell you!" Natalee the Ozmist ghost joked. They both shared a nice laugh.

"Natalee, I am here to lure Langwidere out here, she needs to die, with my plan she cannot survive this coming battle, I need Elphaba alone," I asked.

"You want me to kill her? Oh trust me Anthony, nothing would please me more! I have waited for this moment all my time being dead, just bring her here, I'll finish the bitch for good," Natalee's eyes glowed red with rage and passion in her gallant quest.

"Langwidere! Princess of the land of Ev and brother to the Nome King! I SUMMON AND CHALLENGE THEE, TO THE DEATH!" And I waited, and waited. Then there was a swirling and thunder clapping purple cloud. Out came Langwidere right on queue. She was wearing an enormous dark blue dress with a diamond studded dark purple cape that was shaped and jagged to look like tentacles almost. She wore black leather gloves but still had diamond rings on her fingers.

"You called me, slum?" Langwidere asked.

"Don't talk to me, we end this here right now. One of us die and I assure you Princess of Malice, it shall be you! NOW NATALEE! NOW" And with that, a sudden blast of so much white plasma something I had only seen Glinda do, struck Langwidere and within moments we heard Langwidere screaming as her magic was disintegrated, and then she was slowly vaporized. Natalee stopped her spell, and we watched as Lang withered away her flesh and muscle and veins, to a skeleton. We could see what was left of her soul, a black cloud of simply nothing filled her heart where a bright loving soul should be. A few moments passed, and she then she turned to dust. She was dead and gone at last.


	21. Chapter 21

Elphaba was in her castle about to torture Julia, when she said something troubling to the Wicked Witch.

"Go ahead waste your time, or you could go defend your only friend who I guarantee with every fiber of my being, is finally being given Justice," Julia screamed with all her weakening might. She was starving, thirsting, and bleeding, and sweating. Argy was right next to her and in so much agony he could not speak, only wheeze being tied so painfully tightly to his stake.

The Witch stopped frustratingly seconds before she fired both hands of fireballs, and screamed with the interruption.

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING TODLER?" Then The Witch fell to the floor having a painful vision. It was Langwidere being disintegrated by the Ozmist Natalee, and held captive to allow this to happen successfully, by Anthony.

"NO! NO NO NO IT CANNOT BE! CURSE YOU ANTHONY AND THAT PRETTY LITTLE GIRL YOUS HOULD BOTH BE DEAD I WILL SEE YOU DEAD YET! CURSE YOU AND YOUR MASTER GLINDA THE FOOL!"

"You cannot defeat them! You and your armies will fall, Glinda will find a way to bring you down and destroy you FOREVER!" The Wicked Witch of the West interrupted her.

"NO! You don't get to speak! STUPID GIRL! I have the powers of Hell with the Ruby Slippers! Nothing will stand in my way! I will eat the life of Glinda if it is the last thing I do! I'm still great enough to conquer her, AND WOE TO THOSE WHO TRY TO STOP ME!" The Wicked Witch laughed hysterically high pitched and left the room slamming the wooden door shut and magically locking it.

Glinda back in the Emerald City, was cheering with Ozma and an invited guest from the Cloister.

"The only surviving member of the Mauntery, my dear Mother Superios nothing pleases me more to have you in my court," Ozma graced her old friend.

"Your Majesty, I would not be here were it not for Lurline's love, and your foresight and magic, I thank you most sincerely,"

"You are more than welcome friend, now please go with Glinda and begin restoring the Grimmerie, I need you to bless every step of the way the magic Lady Glinda uses to ensure the Grimmerie will do as we intend," Ozma ordered from her throne but now standing up to leave the room.

"Yes Your Ozness," And the both left.


	22. Chapter 22

Lady Glinda was supervised by Queen Ozma Tippetarius in a back room made only of dark red brick. It was an old rugged room in the otherwise pristine city of Emeralds. Mother Superior the only surviving Maunt from the attacked Cloister was also present to bless each step that Glinda the Good made in restoring the Grimmerie. She took out from a brown leather satchel, the enchanted Emerald she was given by Mother Superior, the moonwater, lunar parchment, and crystal dust.

She then levitated the Grimmerie over to the wooden podium, and all the candles extinguished themselves.

"Take extra care everyone. I do not know how rough or violent the Grimmerie will resist, but rest assured it will to some extent, wands at the ready," She looked to Ozma for help in this. As she was about to place all her strength and focus on the restoration of the Grimmerie, she would not have time to react to save herself from something. Ozma nodded and the crystal orb above her staff illuminated like a candle. Mother Superior began praying to Lurline immediately, kneeling before a stained glass window.

Lady Glinda took the first object, a glass round bottle filled with a liquid that changed its color from blue to white back and forth- the moonwater. She waved her right hand in a tight circle, magically opening the book to the damaged section, and floated the bottle of moonwater over to it. A few drops hit the black pages, and the book shrieked and screamed and shook violently, but still Glinda persisted forcing the drops to keep falling, as her other hand summoned the lunar parchment to replace the black pages, and sealing themselves to the Grimmerie with the moonwater acting as a magical sealant. Once she was confident that the Book had fresh pages, she bid Mother Superior to bless the book its self and Ozma used her magic to conjure a bowl of Holy Water to calm the book. The old black book stopped resisting, and like a tranquil Nome, it slowly rested easing its' shaking down to a rattle, and then sitting patiently on the podium.

Glinda was terribly nervous for this next phase, as the crystal dust was to enchant the book to allow her to give it two new spells only usable only the sorceresses in this room. She took the smallest pinch from a little red velvet pouch and magically released its drawstring. Sparkling specks of the crystal dust shimmered into the new blessed pages, and the whole book lit up very bright gold, brightening the whole room and the faces of sweating Glinda and Ozma. Ozma continuously cast tranquil causing enchantments on the book to allow Glinda to perform her magic restoration. The last step was here: to use the Enchanted Emerald the last in the lands, to create a spell to be used only ever by herself, The Mother, and Ozma no matter who or what obtains the Grimmerie later, and to do only one thing: Wither away into oblivion all the magic (all three types: blood, dark and light as explained earlier) of another; whoever its unlucky target may be. Glinda used her own hand to do this part herself. She kissed the Emerald which made it light up in seconds and then carved into the shining gold pages, the necessary words to cast this spell, and its' details and restrictions. As she was carving with magic into magic, she instructed Ozma: "Ozma, I need you to use something bigger the Grimmerie is trying to erase what I'm spelling! I need you Mother Superior to also bless the book with your most powerful prayer from Lurline, to pacify this angry dark book, this can only work once or we fail and Oz dies forever! COME ON! FOR THE GOOD OF ALL!" Glinda sweated profusely.

Ozma wearing her Oz colors the emerald studded green gown with the huge skirt, and the gold corseted top, used her staff and her spare hand as well as her eyes to cast as many spells at once. Mother Superior touched the Grimmerie with her hands and closed her eyes talking directly to Lurline now with her faith and love in the Unnamed Spirit. It was almost done just a few more words Glinda needed to carve, her light purple crystal studded gown shimmered brilliantly in the gold light emanating from the book as strands of her stressing hair fell out of place beneath her golden sun crown. It was working despite how high the Grimmerie was jumping and growling fighting with all its might to resist Glinda's Goodness, Ozma's power, and Mother Superior's love. Finally Glinda cheered and the Emerald slowly dimmed and stopped lighting up. The Gold light from the added page to the Grimmerie dimmed to the normal dull oak colored pages of the rest of the Book, and then it closed its self with a room-rumbling thud.

"Well, did it work? Is it written and active?" Ozma asked.

"There is only one way to tell: My pearl will turn black if the Book is showing the spell but not letting it be active and able to cast, and the words I just carved with the Emerald will be red for a brief moment if it's a new spell," Glinda answered panting catching her breath.

"Well let us open it my child, and see what you have done with this magic that has never been attempted before," Mother Superior added in anticipation.

"If you did it Glinda, you will surpass me in your understanding of magic and how to make it bend to your will; not the other way around," Ozma smiled. Lady Glinda approached the podium again and opened the heavy book to the page she just created. Plain as day there it was like burning charcoals red and shimmering on the new page, the deed was done.

"It is done, we did it!" Glinda confirmed and thanked both of them. "I would not have been able to do it without your help, Oz thanks you, as do I,"

"Always at your side we will be Lady Glinda, now we must lock it up under my protection spell to keep it safe until the time comes, give it to me my friend," Ozma asked.

"Yes it will be safest with you, I… my fate is separate for it seems I must give my life to lure the Witch here," lady Glinda foretold.

"Emerita! What on Oz are you talking about, you are immortal you cannot die!" Ozma worriedly protested. She used Glinda's other title, as a former Throne Minister, an Emerita was a female former Queen. The enchated quill for Glinda's records could be heard dipping its self into ink and writing away the latest big important events taking place: the restoration of the Grimmerie, and Glinda's fate discussion.

"Ozma, the only way we can lure the Wicked Witch here is if I let her kill me. I am the only other thing she wants,"

"But my dear, what about Anthony? He needs your continued help!"

"I have already told him. He knows I will always be watching over him, but I must let the Witch do this. If she believes she has won, she will think there is nothing left that can destroy her. But there will be you with the spell I just created in the new Grimmerie. You must have faith. The other thing is, if things go the way I want, I shall return three days after my death. But because of the Ruby Slippers giving Elphaba the powers of hell, she will think I am dead for good. What she doesn't realize is that I was just blessed and graced by not only Mother Superior but also by Lurline Herself through the Mother Maunt for two hours," Glinda winked.

"You knew this was going to happen, that's the real reason you wanted Mother Superior there so she could bless you with the highest power anyone can receive. You're a genius Lady Glinda!" Ozma bowed her head.

"The best part is, that since that was a religious act, the Wicked Witch no matter how hard she tried, did not see that in her crystal ball. She cannot see acts of the Unnamed Spirit- she has no idea what is to come now,"

"Oh Glinda!" Ozma excitedly cheered.

"There is more still- Anthony is on his way to rescue Julia and Argy. They will both be in terrible condition, possibly very near death. You must keep them in seclusion for the coming battle with the Witch so they will be safe. Do not fear the cloaks I gave them before they left make them unable to die as long as they are worn. They will feel pain but they won't be able to die. So just keep them in my wing when the Witch comes, and let Anthony be with you she will no doubt force him to stay and watch the death of his favorite heroine. She can't do anything now, we have already won. When I return, we will be rid of every Wicked Witch forever, and Oz shall be yours problem free and with more life than it had before,"

Mother Superior clapped with Ozma at the unbelievably good news they just heard.

"You are truly incredible my dear, Lurline preserve you!" Mother Superior rejoiced. Ozma took the Grimmerie and secured it away out of sight and out of detection. Mother awaited in Glinda's wing for the return of Anthony and the friends who would need temporary medical attention. Glinda went out to the balcony and left her staff in her wing. She wore her purest white gown with no gems, and a necklace made of roses still with the lye detection pearl. She was ready to sacrifice herself for Oz.


	23. Chapter 23

Anthony had arrived at the gates to Kiamo Ko. He was wearing his white robe that turned blue at the bottom, and his staff was ready. There were two Winkie Guards at the gateway, and he waved a hand turning them both to ice and melting away to nothing. He entered the castle and his heart raced furiously.

"Where are you?" I whispered. I tried to remember when Natalee was caught and when I was too. SO I went down as low as I could go to the dungeons. There was a skeleton standing on a stool and suddenly it turned its head following me, and so I looked back at it. When my eyes met its skull, it faced forward again. Weird I thought. But I ignored it and continued running. Finally I heard panting and wheezing and moaning amids these completely unlit stone dungeons.

"Argy? Julia! ARGY JULIA ARE YOU HERE?" I yelled out. There was no response. Maybe they couldn't because of the pain. I ran down the cellar halls, and finally found Julia first. She was on the floor her feet tied up but she had bled so much and been bruised and beaten so bad by the Witch she was almost recognizable. I knew it was her when I saw her snow white skin and golden wavy hair.

"Julia it's me! It's Anthony I've come to save you! Can you speak? I love you my sister! You will be safe dear friend hold on just a little bit more!" There was coughing and then a reply.

"Anthony, I missed your face. Not just because I frankly would rather die than get tortured more but because you are my hero," her sentence humbled me so much I cried feeling not worthy of her touching praise.

"Thank you Julia, you know I would never let anything happen to you and if it does, I will always help you as long as I can breathe you shall not die,"

"Looks like I know that from experience I didn't really want now!" Julia couldn't laugh but I chuckled though some tears

"I'm getting you out of this now Julia hang on a little more," I took out a crystal orb the visionary and whispered to Glinda that Julia was on her way. I threw on the ground where she (Julia) was laying a phial of puf puf juice and sent her magically to the Emerald City as the glass smashed on the floor and the liquid turned to smoke- a portal one way only. Then I continued on looking for Argy.

"Argy? Argy where are you brother?" I called out. Finally I saw the wooden stake he was tied too and at first I thought he had lost his head, he was so terribly tortured he could not bear to raise his head all day and all night and let it fall back (he still had it though).

"Argy, is that you? It's me it's Anthony I'm here to save you from this hell!" This time I did get an answer.

"Anthony it's good to see you," Argy whispered.

"You can speak! Oh thank God, hang in there just a little more man." I began looking for my other phial of transport juice. "I'm so sorry Argy, this should never have happened to you," I cried. I felt horrible. Most of my time it felt like was spent trying to undo something stupid and horribly wrong that I had done. My actions had cost Oz the lives of everyone, it almost killed the friends I loved, it gave the worst enemy her biggest achievement. Hope was very very small, and it was fading. While I was happy to save these two, I felt as though my life and our lives were over. How can we know for sure the fixed Grimmerie will work? What if it wasn't eve fixed? I couldn't find Glinda that Emerald which is what I set out to do in the first place and again I failed Ozma and Glinda. I had failed everyone- I had failed everything! I couldn't bear to live with myself if the Witch never kills me in the end. What's the point of living in a new life if you have no one to share it with?

"Anthony, don't cry, we can do this Glinda is never wrong, you have survived this long and look at me? Already almost gone. You are stronger than me and you don't even know it. You will survive and you will kill that evil witch forever." Argy through his maybe dying breath (I didn't know Glinda's spell on his cloak) had more confidence in me than I had in myself. It was incredible, and at the same time he was stating facts, not opinions. Maybe he was right then I thought. I still feel miserable but now I had faith that there was a higher chance in our success than I thought before.

"You are the best friend I ever made Argy. I would not be here if it weren't for you, you've saved my life in the past, I can never thank you enough for all you have done for me,"

"I just did what I see now you would do for me, a friend in need calls for help you answer that call immediately, thank you Anthony," Argy replied and was now out of what little breath he had left. I threw another phial of puf puf juice sending Argy safely and quickly to Glinda in the Emerald City. I did it! I saved them both. Now where is the Wicked Witch? I ran around the castle thinking she would be wanting to kill me for this, but there was nothing. Then I went to her big room where the crystal ball was and saw some notes written in blood, Slazinace's dead body was on the floor beside it..

The note read this: Anthony I know you have saved your stupid little friends but it matters not in the slightest. By the time you read this, Glinda will be dead, and Oz will be mine. You have chosen your selfish wants over the safety of Oz, and cost the death of the last person who could stop me forever. I hope your happy! I sure am happy as can be you ve done what I do! Now you've lost everything in this game of Wizard chess. Your move.." I crumpled the note crying again.

It pissed em off and depressed me at the same time. Everythign I worked so hard for, all I try to do is balance common sense of saving my friends with my duty to Ozma to save Oz once and for all. Now Glinda was dead? Are you freaking kidding me now? We're lost! We're hopeless! It's all my fault. I cried over the crystal ball and then all of a sudden Ashley appeared.

"Anthony is that you? I can see you but I can't hear," she said.

"yes, yes it's me! Oh wait.." I just remembered she said she can't hear me SO I wrote magically with my staff on the back of the note the Witch left for me a message to her telling her what had happened.

"No. It's a bluff, don't believe her! She wants you to give up, you march back to that Palace and screw her life over, kill that bastard Bitch of the West Anthony! For Oz! For Argy and Julia! FOR GOODNESS SAKE! RISE UP OUT OF THE DARKNESS BRING LIGHT TO HER ABYSS!" Then the image faded away and I dropped the note. My tears dried and I was filled with adrenaline.

I put my staff to my neck amplifying my voice so that everyone could hear me in Oz, "THIS IS ANTHONY THE TRUE WIZARD IN OZ! Elphaba Almira Thropp! I will not surrender not now, not ever! Do you hear me? I will use every fireball, every earthquake, every curse I have to end you! I SWEAR IT! I'M COMING FOR YOU! YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES!" I vowed and with as much emotion as I was feeling cast a spell I never have. I pounded my staff on the stone floor and placed my hand on the top of it and arched it out creating a harmless lightning portal, sending myself to the Emerald City and the final Battle will begin.


	24. Chapter 24

Meanwhile in the Emerald City, The Wicked Witch of the West did not arrive yet to the Palace. This gave Lady Glinda and Queen Ozma time to prepare the Palace for attack. Glinda gathered Julia, Argy and Mother Superior to her protected room in the Palace to keep the wounded and dying away from further injury.

Ozma was crying seeing her country turned to ash under her rule. Glinda came from behind her and put her hand on her shoulder.

"The Wicked Witch is incredibly powerful, and we do not have foreseeing powers, only the ability to control the present, with the right amount of will. It is dreadful beyond measure that so many good and sweet and wonderful people have died from this, The Scarecrow, the Lion even the Tinman, Bluefire, Gervirah, Liseli, all the great ones have gone now. It is up to us to not let their deaths be in vein dear Ozma. We must protect our Keep, remain true to our oaths, and destroy this vile Witch once and for all. Only then will Oz truly have Salvation. Ozma dried her tears and turned around.

"You're right for Anthony we must help him fulfill his prophesized destiny we have much to do and no time to do it in! Quickly now Glinda hurry! We have less than no time to lose! The Witch will be here any second!" Ozma ran all over worried sick trying to move things along as quick as possible. She aslo spoiled a little secret about Anthony's role in Oz that Glinda had only guessed at till now but that she also chose to postpone further discussion of this prophecy. Then she went to the roof of the Emerald City and placed a very hard to conjure bubble around the entire city that was as hard as the strongest metal and as invisible as air. Glinda had Argy and Julia safely lying down on a bed to wait out the coming storm.

Meanwhile, The Wicked Witch was in Cloud Swamp doing something no one thought was possible. The Ruby ring on her green hand as well as the Rubie son her deadly cursed slippers glowed so brightly and with so much power that they hissed like snakes as The Wicked Witch of the West's magic was beginning. She was casting three curses at once. First she created a flood of lava and flame to flash throughout the lands one more time to ensure that if anyone lived through the fires the first time they would surely be dead now. The second thing she did was resurrect all her previously defeated armies: The Flying Monkeys that had spears for tails, claws like knives, and bright blue Winkie painted faces. They were made to do one thing: tear humans to shreds. Then she resurrected the Bees but this time made them bigger- the size of wagons, and gave them the venom of all the spiders of her current army. She had no use for them now. The ground rumbled and the Swamp boiled as the cursed bodies crawled out of the ground and out of the waters re-born from their own ashes fueled by the Ruby Slipper's magic and the Wicked Witch's curse. Roenja interrupted the curse disapproving of the Wicked Witch's decision.

"NO! You will not kill my soldiers you filthy green MURDERER!" Roenja spoke and spat her last words. The Wicked Witch was brought so suddenly out of her deeply focused curse casting, she screamed with frustration and her hands were ablaze briefly.

"YOU ARE PATHETIC! I TOLD YOU TO KILL ALL THOSE MISERABLE LITTLE THINGS AND WHAT DO YOU DO INSTEAD? YOU LET THAT CURSED DAMNED LITTLE GIRL KILL MY ONLY ALLY! SHE'S NOT EVEN ALIVE YOU FOOL!" The Wicked Witch punched her razor sharp nails into Roenja's body and filled Roenja's body with a continuous blast of her fireballs, exploding the Spider into hundreds of disintegrating parts that burned away into ashes and vanished.

"Stupid usless wench! I will have my vengeance, and I will pour so much fire on Glinda not even her CROWN WILL BE COLD! I WILL TURN THAT WHOLE WITCH INTO ASH AND DUST! I AM THE WICKEDEST DAMNED WITCH IN OZ! NO ONE, NO ONE CAN DEFEAT ME!" There was no one around but the Wickedest Witch couldn't care less if she tried. She continued her curse and then resurrected the eye eating Crows, and the skin eating Vultures. The last thing her curse did was summon huge forests of poison ivy the size of Quoxwood trees sprouted all over every burned inch of the country. Natalee the Ozmist appeared just a moment too late and fired a blast of energy from her ethereal form at the Wicked Witch of the West.

"Shoo! Get out of MY SWAMP! I will not have you do anything to the few people that are left alive! You want Glinda and Anthony? You're gonna have to go through me first!"

"I have waited for this for far too long!" The Wicked Witch screamed and instantly made a tornado made only of fire whirl and roar in a deadly tight circle directly over Natalee, and then with both of her hands shot continuous streams of pure fire like a flamethrower. Natalee's Ozmist screamed in incredible pain. The Witch was truly showing her power now, she had set fire to the whole country, resurrected the dead, and now was causing physical pain to someone that wasn't physically there. Her energetic screams were heard by Anthony who had just appeared in a flash of lightning out of his own portal.

"Glinda! Glinda where are you? We need to prepare immediately for the attack arm the castle walls, place traps around the grounds something! Everything! The Wicked Witch is… Do you hear that?" I asked all of a sudden running out to the balcony hearing what sounded like a screaming girl. I looked out into the distance and could see a small red column miles away, it looked and smelled a little like fire but I wasn't sure if I was smelling that or the ash that didn't stop falling like rain after the Witch's second Wicked Fires. "It's Natalee she's in danger! Glinda! Ozma! It's beginning we have got to do something!" I was going nuts wwhy was everyone just standing around the deadliest Witch in the World was about to be on our doorstep!

"Anthony Calm down this instant! I can't have you waking every dead soul in the land with your carrying on like that! If you want to help go get the Grimmerie and replace the orb in your staff with my blue crystal only the light blue one! GO!" Glinda turned and ran upstairs to the roof they both were clad in marble armor. Glinda's was so shiny it looked wet, and was pure white. Ozma's was also marble, but the legs and arms were dark green to differentiate the two. They both had their staves but they both had that same light blue crystal ball from Glinda's magic room. Those crystals had some important use, I was supposed to get one too. I sprinted trying not to slip and armed my staff with the new magic, and grabbed the Grimmerie. The moment I touched it, it didn't growl or urn my hand, instead it filled me with a rush of something. Something inside me felt different all of a sudden. I didn't know it yet, but it was the rich blessing Mother Superior placed on it, and in turn blessing me.

The Wicked Witch stood before her flying army of Monkeys, Bees, Crows and Vultures.

"FOR 52 YEARS I HAVE BEEN DYING TO GET MY FINAL REVENGE FOR MY SISTER! MY BROTHER! MY FATHER! MOTHER AND MY ALLIES! TONIGHT MY BEAUTIFUL ARMY WILL BE THAT NIGHT! TAKE YOUR SOLDIERS TO THE EMERALD PALACE ANDTAKE EVERY GEM OUT OF THAT FUCKING CATLE'S WALLS! TEAR IT DOWN STONE BY STONE AND TURN THAT WRETCHED GROUP OF SQUABLING TODDLEERS INTO ASH! LEAVE ANTHONY AND THE BONDE HEADED FAIRY TO ME I WANT THEM MOST OF ALL, NOW FLY! FLY! GET OUT YOU FOOLS GO GET THEM! GET THEM SEIZE THEM!" The Wicked Witch had no use of flying on her broom so she merely held it while still flying on her own and turned it into a pitchfork. She intended to do something different for Anthony.

"I will roast that weak minded boy from the inside out AND THEN I'LL BURN HIS HEART UNTIL HIS STILL CRYING BODY EXPLODES! HE'S DOOMED! He's doomed forever!" The Wicked Witch of the West Elphaba Almira Thropp cackled loudly and crazily as she adjusted the pointy leather spikes on her shoulders like a porcupine's defensive coat. The battle had begun and Anthony, Glinda and Ozma watched with their worried and nervous hearts racing. Anthony looked at Ozma and then at Glinda. He was still wearing the white robes and held Glinda's hand tightly.

"We will get through this Anthony no matter what comes through that shield, the plan must work, I know it's hard and small, but you must have faith in us, without you we are nothing, together we are unstoppable," Glinda kissed my hand as I cried knowing that this battle would have to claim her life in order for the Witch to not expect anything coming next. The Palace shook and rumbled with the ground as the shield had been struck by the first blow, They were here. But where was the Wicked Witch?


	25. Chapter 25

As the Vultures, Bees and Crows of the Wicked Witch's zombie cursed army began attacking the Emerald City, Anthony and Ozma were fighting them all with great struggle. Magic sparked and flashed ad streamed out from both the two mages' staves and Ozma sometimes used her free had to cast multiple spells at once. I wasn't good enough with magic yet to do that, but occasionally my eyes would light up blue and I could. Anthony was actually sweating from the amount of concentration and energy he had to use to cast so much magic. The Flying Monkeys were destroying the Emerald City, bringing down towers of the Emerald City, and flattening the surrounding wall. The Vultures were picking up large chunks of debris and dropping it trying to kill us. Ozma closed her eyes ad sang a one line tune, opening a heavy wrought iron gate hidden in the ash and dirt, and freeing the Royal Oz Army.

As the TikToks key was lit by gold light from Ozma's magic the TikToks were guaranteed to be ticking throughout the battle. Lady Glinda amidst it all was nowhere to be seen all of a sudden. Anthony continued firing blue explosions of magic, but looked side to side high up o the roof for Glinda, ad didn't see anything.

"Ozma! Where is Glinda? And the Wicked Witch?" I asked her in the heat of the fight ducking a Vultures swooping feet.

"I don't know Anthony you must remain here and help me I cannot do this fight up here alone! You're all Oz has!" Ozma yelled. Anthony respectfully nodded and held back a tear in the heat of the fight. Something terrible was happening, he could feel it in his heart. She went down to the chambers and found the floors flowing with blood from heaven knows what, and rubble from the palace everwhere. The Witch had been in here and was destroying the City from the inside out. When Glinda opened the doors to her room, what she saw instantly made her slap her heart and fall to her knees in tears.

The Wicked Witch of the West had changed her form from the waist down to black smoke and was looming eerily over the unconscious body of Argy, with the clearly dead body of Julia on the floor behind her. She hovered and lowered her glowing green head over Argy, the shadow of her darkness diming Argy's usually bright persona. Her lips lit crimson red and filled with the most demonic and potent poison. She lowered her head closer to Argy and kissed him.

"Poison suits you my dear, and death is such a good color on you. You will never again taint my life, on the contrary dear you will go to THE SUCKING AIRLESS VOID THAT YOU DESERVE!" The Wicked Witch's leather spikes on her shoulders stood up higher as if her own clothing was writhing with anger too. She hovered a razor nailed green ad veiny hand over Argy's heart, ad his skin faded from tan to bluish gray, and he died. She looked up at Glinda at the doorway with her mouth dripping in hissing venom and showing fangs in her mouth.

"You're too late my dear, I have now killed everyone I need to... except for you and Anthony. Who should I kill first?" The Wicked Witch played with her hands slowly moving without walking closer to Glinda.

"Do it. If you have half the courage and power you brag you have, prove it. I cannot stop you, all I can do is ask that you do not blacken the last tiniest portion of your soul with one more needless murder," the doors behind Glinda ad the windows behind the Witch slammed shut and bolted.

"A NEEDLESS MURDER?" The Witch flashed over to Glinda and punched her razor sharp nails into Glinda's chest drawing lots of blood, and screams. "WAS MY SISTER AND BROTHER AND ALLY AND WHAT'S HIS NAME NOT NEEDLESS MURDERS ASWELL? FAREWELL GLINDA, YOUR WRETCHED BUBBLES NO LONGER WILL TAINT THIS LAND OR MY SIGHT!" the whole body of the Witch caught fire, preparing for the final strike.

"It's too late, kill me if you must but you've already lost. Anthony will destroy you forever before the sun rises. May Lurline have mercy on your soul Elphaba,"

And with that, The Wicked Witch used the Ruby Slippers as she had punched both hands into Glinda's chest, and conjured a jagged dagger made entirely of flame, and lunged it deep into her heart. Lady Glinda the Good fell to the floor not able to scream as she struggled to see her last images. She saw the blurring image of the Witch smiling wider than ever and then everything went white. The Wicked Witch of the West had actually completed every deed I order to achieve permanent immortality from the Unnamed Devil. She ran out to the Balcony yelled victorious at last, shooting a column of fire straight up into the sky.

Anthony was with Ozma o the roof fighting the Armies still when all of a sudden Ozma saw the entire shield Glinda created completely went away protecting the City. Then Glinda's tower fell crashing into the Palace Tower, and breaking in two after hitting ours. then, everything vanished. The Witch's armies were gone as well as the TikToks. Ozma held a finger out telling me to stay armed and wait.

"It's not over yet Anthony, I smell sulfur," Ozma said. a crack of thunder and a huge burst of fire erupted from the center of the roof and drifted up shaped like a skull. The Witch's soft muffled cackle imitated rattlesnakes as the flames began to die down and showed the devil woman. In her right hand she held the golden sun crown that always adorned Glinda's head, till now.

"NO!" Anthony yelled. He tried to run at the Witch and beat her up with his hands but Ozma held him back.

"No Anthony, calm down son, we must keep to the plan for Glinda!" she said. I was yelling with anger wanting so much to rip her apart. You always think about death of loved ones, but for whatever reason, never expect it to be as soon as it feels. The Wicked Witch smiled widely and laughed under her huge pointy hat.

"So much anger! Yes dear boy use that! You can be so much more than the pathetic screwy little brat you are now," Ozma was about to stop the Witch with a paralyzing spell, but the Wicked Witch deflected it instantly, and cast it on Ozma instead.

"Pathetic Tip," she hissed at the Queen.

"Enough games Demon! I know you killed Glinda,"

"Oh you foolish boy! I've killed so much more than that! Honestly Anthony after all we've been through why do you still underestimate me? After killing your friends and Glinda, by the way dear I've also killed your friends on Earth my power transcends the limits of this world and yours,"

"You lie! You can't do that rom here!"

"Oh can't I? Care to test that?"

"Maybe, I have a spell that can and will kill you for-" The Wicked Witch flashed over to me and lifted me ten feet above the roof, holding me by the throat, choking me.

"Just try my little pretty, just try! I dare you. Maybe some of your newfound friends can save you Now, oh that's right THEYRE ALL DEAD! AND THEY SHALL BE JOINED IN HELL BY ANTHONY THE BRUTE," The Wicked Witch dropped me and I must have snapped my knees I was screaming in pain and used my staff to stand up. The Wicked Witch made clones of her self, first two then five now ten, and they were all firing fireballs down at me. Ozma thank goodness was still able to use magic and she took the fire for me. As another blessed sorceress she was able to take it and not die. But the Witch and her clones were also shattering windows from the tower as sending the shards of glass flying through the air to slice me and they made thousands of small cuts on my arms and legs. I started reading the spell from the grimmerie in my free hand, and the Wicked Witch dismissed her clones instantly. She screamed louder than anything I've heard and it made illusions. I thought my ears were bleeding but they weren't. I thought my limbs were falling off but they weren't. I continued reading and the Wicked Witch made a tornado of fire on the rooftop, Ozma again tried to absorb most of it but it was too much and it started burning me.

Natalee watched in tears the same fire tornado that destroyed her enchanted swamp, swirl around above the roof of the only surviving tower in the Emerald City. I clung to my staff screaming in growing agony as my skin was charred. Then I finished the spell, and the Grimmerie fell out of my hands and fell to the floor ad stuck like a magnet, closing its self, and disappearing. The fire stopped, Ozma and I looked up (she was fine but I was sweating and burned and bloody and bruised) and the Witch was standing up straight not moving. She dropped her broom and it exploded. then her hat fell off and went down the edge of the tower. I stood next to Ozma and watched, this was it the moment of truth. The Witch looked at her hands as her flesh thinned and she became older and older. At the same time her weight lowered and lowered more, until she was a anorexic almost skeletal green woman in the same cursed black demonic dress and cloak.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" The Wicked Witch screamed. She fell to her knees as she lost her hair ow too. He razor ails fell off and her lips stopped glowing, Her eyes stopped shining and her skin faded to olive, and then lost its' green color completely. The thing wearing that black dress fell to her stomach and now was completely skeletal.

"Is she dead? is that it?" I asked Ozma.

"Wait," she told me. The skeletal thing stood back up and pointed a juicy boney finger at me, and walked over to me. The Ruby Slippers were keeping her alive! That spell should have even killed the Unnamed Devil...

"You! have killed the last person I my family you will ever! And now, with my last few words, I curse thee Anthony: You shall NEVER achieve what you want in your perfect little world, and your friend Argy? he shall forever be imprisoned as a Squirrel, small insignificant little rut as he always was!" The Slippers flashed red, and the curse was sealed. The Witch ran up to me and again held me up by my throat, suffocating me. Luckily I noticed she had her back to the edge of the tower and the world, so I gambled. with both feet I kicked with all my might the ribcage of the demon witch, and her body separated from the arm that was choking me, and fell off the tower. I fell to my feet softly back on the roof and I tore the Witch's skeletal grip off my neck and coughed; my lungs happy to have oxygen again. I leaned over the edge to watch with certainty, and the black dot got smaller, as it screamed, until boom.


	26. Chapter 26

Anthony leaned over the edge ever so slightly with Lady Ozma holding him with her spare hand to ensure he too didn't fall. My broken staff's ashes blew away into nothing in the wind and my attention returned to watching the Skeleton woman fall to her dammed final death. As they watched the single most powerful and evil and successful Witch Oz has ever seen, their skin was covered in goose bumps as they heard the falling Witch's final curse: to imprison Argy forever in the form of a squirrel. When the skeleton woman hit the ground she instantly turned into dark black dust. There was a series of earthquakes that followed rumbling throughout the lands rolling the grounds like waves, and flattening every bit of rubble and ash that had made up the remnants of the magic land that had been destroyed by the Witch. We all thought that with the Wicked Witch's death, the Land would be restored to its beautiful life it had before, but alas, Oz was still dead. The rumbling grounds stopped, and then there was simply nothing, that was it. There were now only two people alive in the Country, me and Ozma.

Ozma put her hands on my shoulders as we began crying, looking at the now appearing bodies of everyone that had burned in the Fires from the day the Witch stole the Ruby Slippers from Natalee's grave in the cemetery. Ozma and I both for the first time shared the same feeling. Failure. I had failed to protect my friends, and save them from the darkness that consumed Oz. Ozma felt she failed her Country, in all her time as Queen she always said she would never let Oz fall while she was Queen. Well while she still had the throne, what was there to lead? Only ash and corpses remained. Then being surrounded by death and tears, Anthony was horror struck.

"Wait a minute, Ozma, where are Julia and Argy? They were never in the battle they were protected in Glinda's room they should be alive where are they?" I asked trying not to cry now, but not very well. I wiped my eyes with the sleeve on my robe. They had been stained in battle with a little blood, lots of burn marks, and tears. Ozma cried too, and could not bear to tell me what she thought the truth was in the answer so she gestured with her staff for me to go below and see for myself. I saw the empty look on Ozma's face and thought I knew exactly what she was saying, and it hurt more to think she may be right. I ran downstairs to Glinda's room, and found the doors shattered in chunks on the floor. There were two white beds in the room, with no one on them. Julia was in the back, it appeared she had been thrown. Argy was nowhere to be seen yet. I ran over to Julia and held her stone cold and stiff body tight in my arms.

"Julia, I'm sorry I tried to prevent this from happening. I'm sorry I failed you my friend," as I sat on my knees holding my killed friend, I saw another body on the ground; it was a squirrel. My other friend Argy was also dead. The Witch's curse worked even after her death. I cried spending one last time in the same room as my brother. I truly loved all of my friends as if they truly were family, and now they both were dead. I didn't care about anything anymore. My friends were dead, my favorite country was destroyed, and then as if I wasn't sore from crying enough already, I saw one last body. Covered from head to toe in a sparkling gown, was the dead and still body of Glinda the Good. I couldn't stand it anymore. My whole world was being taken from me. Everything that made me happy, everything that made me happy, was destroyed. I fell to my back in shock and cried directly from my heart and soul.

"Glinda I know you can hear me up there, please, help my friends, please,"

Ozma stood at the doorway and saw me and she was helpless with tears too. She tried to offer help but I didn't even hear her speaking so she came in anyway. This truly was the lowest place I had ever been, which was ironic considering I was still in the tallest tower I all the lad, granted the only tower but nevertheless. Ozma sat beside me and hugged me, trying to comfort me I this most terrible time. Neither of us could speak, our tears falling too steadily.

Time seemed as unimportant as the fact that I had eaten or drank anything for a day. In the middle of all our terrible tears, Ozma stood up. There was a blinding energy filling the dark and depressing room with light once again. The light grew brighter to the point where even an arm in front of our faces did nothing to help. The light was now accompanied by a silhouette of what appeared to be a woman. A few moments later ad the woman spoke.

"Fellow Ozians, fear not, all is as it should be. You despair feeling as though you have failed, and yet you have both freed the lands from all the people's nightmares, and terrors, and have finally disposed of the most powerful and dark Witch in Oz's history. For that, you both have Lurline's eternal blessing, ad thanks," the incredibly bright woman said with an echoing voice. Ozma and I found ourselves not crying anymore. Something made us at peace with all the sorrows of our lives.

"Show yourself my lady, you have eased my pain and I wish to thank you from the very deepest meaning in my heart, as I loved my friend who are not with me today, and that you have comforted me with, what is your name?" I asked her. The light slowly dimmed and was now clearly coming from the lady's staff. She was slim, tall, blonde, and had long wavy hair to her elbows. She was wearing a silk gown that had no sleeves, ad was covered I gold and diamonds. Her beautiful hair was crowned by a wreath of red roses that moved their petals every which way elegantly. These roses matched the one on her staff, comprised of a single large red rose on a very long green stem, thorn less and staggered with leaves. She wore a single pearl on a silver string around her neck, and had small rose rings on her index fingers. Her skin, her clothes, her hair, everything about her sparkled naturally. She tilted her head and spoke.

"I am Glinda my child, and I come back to you now to restore the land to its well-earned glory. I told you I was immortal Anthony, when will you believe me? " Lady Glinda laughed and Anthony smiled with tears of overwhelming relief and joy, and hugged her tightly.

"I knew you would come back to save us, to help me and my friends,"

"That's right my friend, and nothing will ever stop that. Come Ozma, we have glorious magic to cast," Lady Glinda requested the aid of Queen Ozma to restore the land ad all its beautiful and wonderful forms of life to be te times better than before, and even to restore Earth. The Goodwitch was back.


	27. Chapter 27

Anthony was in awe of Lady Glinda's majesty returning once more and in a state ten times as stunning and powerful as before. It was believed by many myself including, that the destruction of the Wicked Witch of the West with the powers of Hell and the Ruby Slippers literally at her feet, that all of her wicked and heinous deeds would be undone. That was not the case however. As we have seen from our times in Oz leading up to now, the three types of magic (Blood, Black and Light) all have different prices to pay in order to successfully cast, and the severity of the curse dictates the level of payment. So it would logically follow that the mere killing of the Witch who cast these dark, thick and heavy long-lasting curses is not nearly enough to firstly rid the land of her darkness, and secondly to reignite the land of Oz with more life than it ever had before. Only Lady Glinda the Good had this ability.

When she died, she did truly die there was no trickery in that moment of her life. Her essence stayed in her body, but her soul had risen to the heavens wherein she was touched by the Unnamed God herself to return to Oz more powerful and with even fewer flaws than before, to ensure that the ultimate prophecy to end all Witches and villains is fulfilled. Upon her uplifting return, she was graced with the blessed and sacred roses of the gardens of paradise, as a symbol to all (wicked neutral and good alike) that she is the Archsorceress- the one who's power truly derives from heaven its self-harnessed and contained to be used only by her will and from her specific staff.

Anthony was still crying the loss of his dearly departed and most highly beloved friends, but now after witnessing the glorious return of the best heroine in Oz, knew there was hope. Better yet, he knew there would be action in a few moments. He went up alas to witness the rebirth of the desecrated Oz he was now almost used to seeing. Lady Glinda, in her white and opal gown, rose just a few feet off the ground as her staff bloomed ever wider, and the skies cleared of the black gloom that once plagued the lands, revealing the happy sapphire sky and a golden sun once more. This brought daylight to the ash and charred lands. There were no hills, the lakes had been turned to cooled magma, and the trees were dust. But slowly, millions of rose petals and tiny pink bubbles bright as sun rained gently down in enormous clusters all over the land until it was impossible to see anything but the bubbles and red rose petals. The Emerald City as if by magnets drew all of its emeralds back in place, restored the fallen towers and repaired the interiors. Then the lands were coated in lush vibrant green grass, and crops like sugar, corn, wheat, apples, fruits vegetables, and minerals filled the Munchkinland section. Then huge diamond, silver, gold, Ruby, and Emerald filled mines formed within huge mountain ranges Anthony recalled as the Madelines that connected Munchkinland with Gillikin and mainly the Glikkus. Then the infamous and wonderfully enchanted Cloud Swamp was cleared of its black muck and replaced by beautiful lunar lake water. This allowed the flourishing of its ghost summoning properties, but also provided the ghosts who are ever summoned protection from un-seeable harm. Then the Vinkus grew the sky piercing cliffs of the Kells and the castles that were re built were to remind travelers that the Deadly Desert remained still. Glinda had also restored the enchanted railroad, the yellow Brick Road, and the new Red Brick Road (which made a far less deadly route only for Oz citizens specifically to and from Ev starting in the Emerald City, and going south through the western border in Quadling Country. All the lakes flashed with beautifully sculpted white marble fountains in the centers, and the rivers gleamed and rushed with the purest and best freshwater imaginable. The rivers grew wider to increase the uses for the water for crops and vegetation. Then cattle was reborn: horses, cows, sheep, swans, Birds, and other Animals populated the magical lands, but all had surprising details in coloring or other appearance forms. Then huge forests replanted themselves in large family like clusters in the north, on the mountain sides, and in the Mid-East. The trees moved and spoke and interacted with the world once again. Then flowers, and fruit trees and cocoa bean farms and tobacco fields and wildflowers blossomed all over the south in Quadling. The Swampy Quadling was topped with safe wooden foundation that was sealed too to ensure top scale hygiene for coming citizens. The flowers were tall and moved in the wind like they were dancing with life. Then large puffy white shape changing clouds dotted the blue skies as charming villages sprouted in their own distinct architecture styles for their respective states. Homes and factories, schools and libraries, museums and hospitals, arcaneums and alchemy labs, cauldron stores and flying broomstick farms, forge with enchanted blacksmiths and hunters, all filled their previous positions in the wonderful Country. It is important to note that even in the dead barren state that was here moments ago, Princess Nastoya leader of the Scrow the Indian like tribe in Oz survived living underground in hiding until Glinda's disbelieved return. Respectful and sadly very large graveyards also appeared, housing the restored from their ash corpses of the lost loved ones, not all could be brought back to live again unfortunately. But their sacrifice, struggle, and honor is remembered in the new morgue.

Anthony and Ozma watched in utter amazement as all of this was happening until the remarkable happened: life breathed in Oz again. People rose up out of the lakes blessed by Glinda and Lurline and reunited families, babies, children and grandparents; uncles and nephews; nieces and aunts; friends and brothers; sisters and wives. All of Oz's beautifully if not sometimes comically crude- citizens breathed the free air once more. The Rose petals disappeared as they hit the beautiful and warm grounds, and the bubbles purified the rest with their purity and cleaning, until they too seized falling and life was fully restored to their land. Oz was now more lush and amazing than ever before. Lady Glinda's feet touched the rooftop of the perfectly restored Emerald City Palace Tower again upon finishing the blessed deed. Ozma went down to the balcony to address her people, and Anthony knelt down before Glinda.

"Your Goodness, you have done all I couldn't but yet all I tried so hard to do, I cannot ever thank you enough. I wasn't the only one who thought that was it, no more Land of Oz. But now that there is again, I do have one favor to beg of you my dear friend," I asked from the very center of my beating heart. Lady Glinda smiled in her usual heartwarming way, already knowing what it was I was about to ask for.

"It is already done my friend, please, go and see and love it for your self," She tilted her head and with a gesture of her glittering hand, bade me to go and see if my friends were alive.


	28. Chapter 28

While Anthony ran down to check on his friends, Glinda the Good and Ozma went all the way down to the bottom to make doubly sure that the Wicked Witch of the West was indeed dead and gone. So Glinda summoned her bubble and Ozma stood next to her as the large pink bubble floated gently with them both all the way down beneath the clouds to the ground where the Witch fell.

Anthony now out of breath arrived at the room his friends were in. He found the door had been shredded into pieces on the floor before him, and the entire room was a battle scene. Sparks of magic burst every now and then, from rubble of the ruined room, like electricity. Anthony looked around the room his hands without his staff, but still wearing the robe Glinda gave him earlier, and found only one.

"Julia! Julia it's me are you alive can you hear me? Please answer me!" I sat on the ground and picked her up by her shoulders to rest her head on my hand until she woke. She blinked and began breathing again as a miracle.

Lady Glinda and Ozma had landed at the foot of the Emerald Palace; ironically enough this was the side of the Tower that was right at the entrance to the cemetery. Glinda looked around for any signs of anything. Ozma went a different route but doing the same thing. The sun had just barely poked above the Kells in the very early hours of the morning that it was, and fog settled in, temporarily separating Glinda and Ozma.

"Anthony is that you? Oh my gods Anthony it is you! Oh I'm so relieved! Anthony that means you did it! You killed the Wicked Witch forever!" Julia sprung to her feet and gave me the tightest hug of my adventurous life. Then it dawned on us.

"Wait Julia, where is Argy?" I worriedly asked.

Lady Glinda was now using a spell to help clear some of the fog, but she found out the hard way it wasn't naturally occurring, but magically. Slowly the fog turned black, and smelled of sulfur. Something made the good witch trip, and she fell to her hands and knees. When she looked up, she couldn't breathe.

"Anthony over here! I think I found something!" Julia told me, and I rushed to her spot in the room, and looked at what she was pointing at. A squirrel.

"Argy? Argy can you speak? Are you alive?" I asked him. The little grey squirrel blinked and twitched his tiny paws.

"Hey fat face! Yes I can hear you man!" The friendly little mouse responded, and with relieved tears I laughed, while holding Julia close as she smiled with me.

"It's the Witch her dying words cursed you Argy my brother, I promise I will find a way to break it," I vowed. Julia nodded.

Glinda was being held up at her neck above the ground, by the ghost of the Wicked Witch. Not an Ozmist, a temporary anomaly in ghost form.

"You may have killed me, but I am not the last Witch to take away the lives of those you love, or the crown from Ozma's head, I hiss my last cursed breath at thee," And the ghost withered away to oblivion releasing Glinda. She was coughing but had a look of real fear; she thought this was over now, clearly not. Meanwhile, Ozma was also having issues. She tripped as well, but fell into the Wicked Witch's black dress that was stained in blood. When Ozma used her staff to rise back on her feet, a skeleton was walking towards her wearing a top hat, and handed her a message. After she looked at it and then back at the skeleton, he snapped his boney fingers and vanished.

"Glinda! Lady Glinda you must come here!" She called out and finally they reunited at the Witch's clothes.

Ozma gave Glinda the message, and she put it in her pocket. "It's imperative that we prepare ourselves properly for this, you must allow me to do something without question your Ozness,"

"As long as you remain true to your promise, I will allow it dear friend," Ozma replied, and returned to her Palace to check on Anthony and his friends. Glinda headed to the Haunted Forest just north of the Emerald Palace. She had a hunch to eavesdrop on to confirm first.

Ozma arrived in the most happy of moments for Anthony. He was hugging and laughing with his best friends. They were saved, all of them thanks to Anthony, Glinda, and Ozma.

The next few days were glorified but busy. There was an awards ceremony which this time granted Anthony control of the Vinkus as a trial head of state, as was Julia with Quadling. Argy unfortunately being a Squirrel was only granted access to the Queen's Court, and head of the stealth training for Ozma's Guards. Anthony was again given the Key to the Country, but warned that the Key was prone to going missing randomly so an alternate method to returning to Oz is necessary. Afterwards, everyone but Glinda (who was still gone) had a dinner together. Anthony left the table early and said he was going to Cloud Swamp. "I'll be back shortly but I want to do this alone," I said and Argy persisted and followed me.

We talked briefly about life and I thanked him for coming with me despite my saying I didn't want anyone to come. We arrived at the swamp which Glinda had turned more into a lake now but it still had the fog. Then Natalee's Ozmist appeared wearing the same cool misty gown and floated over to me.

"Anthony, I hope everything is alright, that was quite a show back there,"

"The Wicked Witch of the West is dead it is official now Glinda told the people this morning" There was a tree branch that broke in the distance. It caught my attention, but I ignored it.

"I wanted to thank you personally for your help in defeating Langwidere," I said.

"Oh believe me it was my pleasure! If you ever need my help again don't hesitate to ask, you know where I am. Is there anything else? I am very tired," she said smiling and still with her echoing voice. I wanted to tell her how much she still means to me, how she will always hold a part in my heart, but something made me decide not to tell her, that she would always be in my heart.

"No nothing, thank you. Ozspeed Natalee, take care and see you on the other side-well next time I come- to Oz I mean," I stuttered and stumbled vocally. Argy did a face palm.

"Yep got it Anthony," She laughed, and then hugged. She disappeared before I let go of the hug, and was crying. Memories of when she was alive were very sad to me. Argy saw and jumped on my shoulder and smacked my cheek.

"Hey what the heck?"

"Exactly! Cut it out man! Stop the water works and let's get back to the Emerald Palace thing and go home to Earth, I have a girl to get back to as well ya know!"

Hey Argy, what are you going to do if you're still a squirrel when you see Ashley again? I mean the Witch never included Earth in her curse,"

"It's not going to happen, I just want my girl back in my arms, it's been too freakin long, and there's been too much war and death in between." Now it was Argy's turn for tears, which he quickly stopped, and threw a rock he grabbed earlier and hit a bird.

"Who Argy you almost killed that bird! It's alright man, I know how you feel. Have faith in Ashley, and remain selfless, brave and true as you were the day she fell in love with you and you will have nothing to fear," He nodded, and we arrived back at the Palace. Ozma was discussing something with Julia.

"Where is Glinda Ozma? I wanted to say goodbye to her," I asked. Julia and Argy agreed nodding their heads.

"She is on a reconnaissance mission for me for the moment I am sorry she cannot be here at this time my friends, is there something I can do for you instead?" She politely asked.

"I always regret this part, but I do feel it is time to go home. I've done my part for Oz, now it's time for us to return to Earth," I said.

"Be assured you all are welcome and encouraged to come again should we ever need your aid I know I can count on you three. Very well, come here then!" And Ozma hugged us all closely to thank us for our sacrifices, and our successful help that came at very high costs.

" Stand next to each other and close your eyes," Ozma said her eyes glowing gold now. Anthony held Argy in his hand that did the same thing. " And think to yourself that there's no place like home. Picture your own respective homes in your heads, and repeat that out loud until you awake in your beds. Ozspeed heroes, farewell," I saluted her, and continued the ritual. Gold streams flew out of Ozma's fingers and lifted the three of us. Slowly my mind grew tired and sleepy, and I blacked out as my body and mind drifted through space and time traveling to another world back to Earth. There was a warm cushiony bump and I awoke with a jolt in my bed this time in my house in Italy with my parents' house.

Meanwhile, Glinda read aloud the note. It was a warning. "Rejoice the news and weep, a thousand years you'll sleep, an old forgotten Queen shall keep," Glinda crumbled the note in her hand as she walked away from the Forest, and headed for Munchkinland She had built an enormous magical object in the forest to help her better foresee the future, and was about to build a fountain that could turn into a poison ONLY at her will. Just as the magical object in the forest, it too would only work for her, so she planned.

When Anthony returned to his home he was happy to be with his family again, taking with him the strength he developed in Oz. Julia did the same, bringing back her stronger heart she grew in the Witch's dungeons. Argy's Earth visit was short lived, he was still a Squirrel in Oz, and Ashley refused to continue the romance. Heartbroken and enraged, Argy returned after only days to Oz, and tried to deal with his emotions in the Emerald City until Anthony returned whenever that may be. Glinda told Ozma everything she did and everything she learned, and for now it seemed, Oz as quiet. People were reproducing, happiness overflowed. Things were finally as they should be. With hard work, diligence, and maintaining a loving balance among friends and romantic relationships alike, no foe can conquer you. Love is strength, and strength is power.


End file.
